Abstract: A tape cartridge having a solid metal mount plate including a plurality of surfaces thereon simultaneously machined to the same plane. Tape reels and tape guides are affixed to the mount plate, thereby ensuring precise alignment to each other. A portion of at least one of the surfaces is exposed to the outside of the tape cartridge by recesses in the tape cartridge cover. Upon seating the tape cartridge in a tape drive, guides are inserted into the recesses, thereby ensuring precise alignment of the tape to a tape head in the tape drive.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for generating a position error signal from a signal produced by a read element detecting a track comprising two harmonically unrelated patterns positioned parallel to each other on a magnetic media. The apparatus of the present invention produces a delayed signal from the read signal produced by the read element. The read signal is multiplied with the delayed signal to form a product signal. The product signal is integrated to produce a position error signal, wherein changes in the position error signal that are proportional to changes in position of the read element over the two patterns positioned parallel to each other on the magnetic media.

Abstract: A tape reel brake which is mounted in a well in the top of a tape reel hub. The well is inside the tape bearing surface of the hub. The brake is mounted to be compliantly biased away from the base of the well. The hub is seated against a first inside surface of a tape cartridge housing. The hub and brake are seated in the tape cartridge such that teeth on the periphery of the brake are biased against the opposite inside surface of the cartridge housing about the periphery of an opening therein. The biasing of the brake against the opposite inside surface both prevents the rotation of the reel and shields out dust when the tape cartridge is removed from a tape drive. To rotate the reel, a tape drive clutch enters the opening in the opposite inside surface and depresses the brake into the well to mate with a smaller diameter portion of the hub or a recessed portion of the brake.

Abstract: A tape cartridge access door includes a body having two flanges and a pseudo-head therebetween. In the open position, the access door permits a tape head to be mated with the tape in the cartridge. In the closed position, the body and flanges close openings in three adjacent walls of the tape cartridge. Also in the closed position, the pseudo-head occupies the space otherwise occupied by the tape head when the tape head is mated with the tape. The pseudo-head thus prevents the tape from being drawn taut straight when the access door is closed. The access door may pivot or slide between the open position and the closed position.

Abstract: A tape path having an implicit squeeze bearing. In such a tape path, one end of the tape is wound upon a first reel, the tape extends around one or more guides, briefly comes into close proximity with itself at the outer wrap of the tape wound upon the first reel, and is wound upon a second reel. By coming within close proximity with itself, the tape forms an implicit squeeze bearing which damps tape tension variation, inhibits the transmission of vibrations from one reel to the other, and eliminates the entrapment of entrained air without any additional rollers or other components. The tape path is suitable for use in a peripheral storage device, such as a magnetic tape drive, and is compatible with a variety of tape cartridge configurations.

Abstract: A clocking system is disclosed for a multichannel data transmission system which includes a temporary storage medium, such as magnetic tape. The system is an improvement over prior art systems which utilize a separate phase locked loop clock correction circuit for each channel. The described system utilizes a single clock for the multiple channels which operates at a frequency F that is an integral multiple of the channel baud rate. Means are provided to continually monitor the phase error of each channel and a composite correction signal is derived and applied to the clock signal which is proportional to the average of the phase errors of the individual channels.