Riging together a way to store data on an audio cassette

[aneeshm]

I can assume this idea is not original , it being so obvious . Yet I'm thinking of making it for my 12th grade project ( as a project common to physics ( the electronics parts ) and CS ( the programming parts ) ) . I'd say that the hardware is not too hard to rig together . The software could be pretty simple , too . But I don't know yet . Another thing is the maximum data density . I'd say that I can store data in octal or hex format to maximise data density .

To manage the input , I'm planning to use normal sound input and output ports . Then I can send the data to standard sound output so that I can use a cable to plug it into the mike port of a normal audio cassette recorder to make recording easier , and use the headphone/standard output port of a player and mike port of a computer to copy data from the tape back to the computer .

Can the resident experts here tell me if this is feasible ?

[Dry]

You mean, like it was back in the years when computers had no HardDisk?

I think on the Commodore 64 of my brother we used the very basic audio tape recorder to save/load programs.

[Bkeela]

Took about half an hour to an hour to load a game.

[Ari Rahikkala]

Re: Riging together a way to store data on an audio cassette

Originally posted by aneeshm
I'd say that I can store data in octal or hex format to maximise data density.

As opposed to what format?

[JohnT]

I can assume this idea is not original , it being so obvious .

You're right. Us oldsters fondly enjoy our memories of loading programs up using the tape deck and hoping, praying that everything goes right and that you don't have to repeat that long process again... and again... and again.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Trash 80 (TRS 80)- Courtesy of Radio Shack

[MikeH]

beeeee weeeeeee weeeeeee wrrrdllwrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl peeeeooooooohaaaaaaaaaaaarararararararar wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl peeeeooooooohaaaaaaaaaaaarararararararar ngngngngngng n-n-n nee-uuuurr nee-uuuuurr.

I'm sure you old timers will all recognise that as the first few seconds of loading a commodore 64 game made by Ocean.

Those youngsters amongst you will think it's a badly done modem loading.

[aneeshm]

I'm planning to use it ( actually , not use it , just make a project out of it which will look as it it has some purpose ) to archive/backup data . I'd like to know how much data a disk can store .

[chequita guevara]

IIRC, you have to use high quality tape. Any old cassette won't do.

[Dry]

Originally posted by aneeshm
I'm planning to use it ( actually , not use it , just make a project out of it which will look as it it has some purpose ) to archive/backup data . I'd like to know how much data a disk can store .

Difficult to say... I don't remember.
The computer of that time had... say, 16K of RAM, so games had to be smaller than that.
iirc, we had ~20 games on a tape, so it makes something like, maximum 320K. But it is pure guess from my part. In fact, I have no idea...

You know, in between for backups, they invented ZIPs and JAZZs and DATs.

If I were you I'd try something more ... inovative, like a car pulled by horses, or an iron boat propulsed by a steam engine.

[Geronimo]

how about storing data on a VHS tape? Audio has been done but I don't recall that VHS ever was.

[alva]

Originally posted by MikeH
beeeee weeeeeee weeeeeee wrrrdllwrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl peeeeooooooohaaaaaaaaaaaarararararararar wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl wrdlwrdl wrdl peeeeooooooohaaaaaaaaaaaarararararararar ngngngngngng n-n-n nee-uuuurr nee-uuuuurr.

I'm sure you old timers will all recognise that as the first few seconds of loading a commodore 64 game made by Ocean.

Those youngsters amongst you will think it's a badly done modem loading.

Oh, don't forget adjusting the cassette heads so the lines on the teevee looked nice.

[reds4ever]

Re: Rigging together a way to store data on an audio cassette

Originally posted by aneeshm
I can assume this idea is not original , it being so obvious .

Not original? Thats the understatement of the year.

Don't Comp Sci courses have a history module?

Jeez, my first 4 or 5 computers used audio tape....I feel old....

[Shogun Gunner]

I wish I couldn't identify with this thread

Adam Coleco, yes my first "computer"...really a fancy calculator with graphics.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Geronimo
how about storing data on a VHS tape? Audio has been done but I don't recall that VHS ever was.

Also been done, there used to be system (not THAT long ago) where you could back up a hard drive to vidoe tape and use it as a cheap streamer