Recording and reproducing system using time division multiplexing

Claim 1

A recording and reproducing system comprising, a plurality of individual input channels for receiving respective input signals having respective levels; time division multiplexing means for sampling the respective input signals cyclically, according to a predetermined sequence of the input channels and for outputting a succession of samples occupying respective time slots, each sample representing a level of an input signal received in a respective input channel during a respective time slot, the samples derived from one of the input channels being used as synchronisation signals; frequency modulation means for frequency modulating the succession of samples output by said time division multiplexing means to produce frequency-modulated samples; means for recording the frequency-modulated samples, as an analogue signal, on magnetic recording tape; means for reading the frequency-modulated samples from the magnetic recording tape; frequency demodulation means for demodulating the frequency modulated samples read by the reading means to produce a succession of frequency-demodulated samples, a plurality of output channels, each output channel corresponding to a respective input channel; time division demultiplexing means for distributing the frequency-demodulated samples output by said frequency-demodulation means to respective output channels; and synchronisation signal detection means for detecting the frequency-demodulated samples that are used as synchronisation signals, the time division demultiplexing distributing the frequency-demodulated samples output by said frequency demodulation means to respective output channels in accordance with the timing of the detected synchronisation signals.