Abstract: A digital tape drive wherein tape is written, and a read-after-write operation is immediately performed to check the integrity of the write operation, for either direction of tape movement. The tape contains a plurality of parallel data tracks. Two read/write head modules span the entire tape. The read and write gaps of each module are alternately spaced across the width of the tape, such that the write gaps of one module are aligned with the read gaps of the other module. When one module is selected for writing, as a function of the direction of tape movement, the other module is selected to read-after-write check the first module's written data. One module writes odd-track data during one direction of tape movement, and reads even-track data during the opposite direction of tape movement; as the other module writes even-track data during said opposite movement direction, and reads odd-track data during said one movement direction.

Abstract: The temperature of a magnetic head assembly is reduced by active heat transfer accomplished by a thermoelectric cooling element positioned between and in contact with the head assembly housing and the head assembly. The housing serves as a heat sink from which thermal energy is diffused.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a novel ferrite magnetic head assembly utilizes two ferrite pieces having extending fingers of closely similar dimensions that are joined in interleaving fashion and bonded to a ceramic substrate. The resultant assembly is sliced to provide closure sections for multi-track magnetic heads. Each closure section is joined to a ferrite wafer such that the wafer and closure section define a transducing gap therebetween.

Abstract: An MR head is disclosed in which the MR element is deposited onto a sapphire substrate with a particular crystallographic orientation and a sapphire closure piece also having a particular crystallographic orientation is used. The substrate has the MR element deposited onto either the {0001} or the {1120} plane with the {1100} plane being oriented as the wear surface. The closure piece has either the {1120} or the {0001} plane facing the MR material and the {1100} plane oriented as the wear surface.