ChannelScience’s custom, patented hardware and software provide robust open-reel tape handling, unprecedented magnetic sensing resolution, and AI-enabled signal processing to deliver the best reader of legacy format tapes ever created.
Our multiformat hardware platform senses the magnetic pattern on your ½” wide data tape with laboratory-level resolution.
To these high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) waveforms, we apply advanced signal processing, detection, and decoding algorithm software modules optimized for each supported legacy format.
This hardware and software combination provides better performance than even a perfectly refurbished vintage drive. This is necessary, because the magnetic patterns and the vintage tapes themselves have decayed and deteriorated over the decades.
Servo-controlled High-speed Tape Transport
Our custom tape transport platform is the foundation of all of our tape hardware products. It smoothly moves tape forward or reverse through a minimalist tape path for cleaning or reading.
The platform can be oriented horizontally or vertically and handles legacy tape reels with precision and care. The transport’s speed ranges from very slow for fragile tapes to over 3X the highest speed of vintage tape drives.
It features programmable tension profiles for archival rewinding and detailed monitoring and logging of speed and tension.
Modern, Abundant Enterprise-class GMR Sensors
ChannelScience’s patented technology enables our products to utilize modern enterprise-class recording heads, providing the most accurate sensing of the magnetic patterns on legacy tapes ever available.
These widely available heads use the “giant magnetoresistive” (GMR) effect, rather than traditional inductive heads. This means they are not only more sensitive, but their readback signal is not dependent on the speed of the tape. This enables robust signal capture even on delicate tapes that must be moved slower than their format’s specification calls for.
Data Detection That Is Better Than the Original Equipment
ChannelScience’s tape transport platform, sensitive GMR heads, custom low-noise amplifiers, and custom digitizers feed high SNR waveforms to sophisticated signal processing, detection, and decoding software algorithms.
We use the latest techniques that perform better than the simple filtering and peak detection systems used in vintage drives. Our HDF5 output waveform format supports open-source efforts that develop compatible software modules for recovering additional ½” open reel tape formats.
AI From Beginning to Beyond
ChannelScience is an “AI first” company. By this we mean 1) utilizing AI head starts where appropriate, 2) training custom AI agents for research and second opinions, and 3) building AI into our products and services from the beginning.
Our hardware leverages AI/ML for predictive maintenance. Our models optimize critical settings and learn from your top technicians and operators. Our systems automatically generate metadata about the waveforms and tapes and paradata about the conditions of the recovery. We fit in your workflow and help get your unique data sets ready for AI training and access.
We analyze waveforms to train AI/ML models to enhance waveform decoding, automate error diagnosis, and prepare high-fidelity digital surrogates. We can help you monetize your rare datasets by preparing them for AI/ML training and for sovereign AI LLMs.