PURPOSE: To reduce check operation for transfer medium by firmware to prevent the other processing speeds from lowering.

CONSTITUTION: Sensors 2 and 3 are present in a medium transfer route 1 in transfer direction and co-axially. When a medium is moved by L or R-directional transfer, the delayed output signals from the sensors 2 and 3 are input into a transfer direction detection circuit 4. By an input sensor signal, the transfer direction detection circuit 4 generates two pulses for each transfer in an R- directional transfer clock line 5 when transfer is made in R direction. When transfer is made in L-direction, on the contrary, two pulses are generated similarly for each transfer in an L-directional transfer clock line 6. The R-directional transfer clock lines 5 and 6 in the medium direction detection circuit 4 are connected to the count-up terminals of an R directional transfer times counter 7 and an L-directional transfer times counter 8, respectively, to enable detection of medium transfer times for each transfer direction.