Abstract: A head actuator assembly includes a coarse positioner base assembly that is mounted on a guide shaft and an anti-rotation shaft and provides increased structural rigidity due to a four-point support and spring loading of the coarse positioner base against the anti-rotation shaft. A two-part head-carriage and voice coil holder system permits different materials to be used for the head-carriage and the voice coil holder, obviating structural problems of a single-structured head-carriage and coil-holder system. A flexible printed circuit bracket eases manufacture and allows flexible printed circuits to be slid into the bracket and retained in place without the need for locating tabs and screws.

Abstract: A head actuator design for a low profile tape drive is configured with a damping system for a head suspension system having flexure springs to accommodate a half-high form factor. The damping system employs hall sensors, for example, mounted on the head carriage that moves with the head carriage to provide position signals that are differentiated to form velocity signals used by a servo loop control system to dampen suspension system resonance. A flexible circuit routing is provided that is manageable for half-high form factors by combining the fine positioner loop and course positioner loop into a single loop, and preventing the head flexible printed circuit from contacting a top cover in the routing to a printed circuit board near the top cover.