Abstract: A tape drive system according to one embodiment includes a magnetic head. The magnetic head includes first and second beams each having a tape bearing surface, a face, a recess in the tape bearing surface thereof, the faces of the beams facing either towards each other or away from each other; a first chip being positioned in the recess of the first beam; and a second chip being positioned in the recess of the second beam, wherein each chip has circuitry selected from a group consisting of read elements, write elements, and combinations thereof, wherein a tape bearing surface of each chip is generally aligned with the tape bearing surface of the associated beam, and wherein an end of each chip is generally aligned with the face of the associated beam. The system also includes a drive mechanism and a controller.

Abstract: A tape drive system according to one embodiment includes a magnetic head. The magnetic head includes first and second beams each having a tape bearing surface, a face, a recess in the tape bearing surface thereof, the faces of the beams facing either towards each other or away from each other; a first chip being positioned in the recess of the first beam; and a second chip being positioned in the recess of the second beam, wherein each chip has circuitry selected from a group consisting of read elements, write elements, and combinations thereof, wherein a tape bearing surface of each chip is generally aligned with the tape bearing surface of the associated beam, and wherein an end of each chip is generally aligned with the face of the associated beam. The system also includes a drive mechanism and a controller.

Abstract: A tape head has first and second beams each having a recess in a tape bearing surface thereof, a face where the faces of the beams either face each other or face away from each other. A first chip is positioned in the recess of the first beam, and a second chip is positioned in the recess of the second beam. Each chip has circuitry selected from a group consisting of read elements, write elements, and combinations thereof. A tape bearing surface of each chip is generally aligned with the tape bearing surface of the associated beam. Also, an end of each chip is generally aligned with the face of the associated beam. Where closures are used, this eliminates the need to aligning the closure to skiving edges of the beam.

Abstract: An integral recording head, for use in a linear tape drive system, includes a circumferentially grooved roller guide assembly and a recording head actuator assembly. The circumferential groove feature is incorporated on the surfaces of the roller guide assembly, and provides a substantial frictional contact force that acts to reduce the lateral motion, and further attenuates high frequency lateral disturbances of the magnetic tape. The reduced high frequency content of the lateral disturbances significantly improves the ability of the actuator to achieve a desired track following control. The grooved roller guide assembly is formed integrally of two solid cylindrical contact surfaces separated by a circumferential slot that accommodates the recording head actuator assembly.

Abstract: A multi-channel tape recording head or apparatus that has cable connection pads aligned along a direction that runs substantially perpendicular to a multi-channel tape recording head actuation direction, which allows a ribbon-type external cable, connected to the cable connection pads, to bend in its most flexible direction when the multi-channel tape recording head moves.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for writing timing-based magnetic servo band patterns on magnetic storage media. The apparatus includes a magnetic head and a tri-state driver. The driver is adapted to control three magnetic head states including two writes states having positive and negative current outputs, respectively, for performing a write sequence and a rest state, having no current output for avoiding overwriting of the magnetic pattern between write sequences. The driver is further adapted to gradually change the magnetic head state from a rest state to a write state before beginning a write sequence and to gradually change the magnetic head state back to a rest state upon completing a write sequence. Thus, strong uniform signal pulses are produced upon playback of the magnetic pattern.

Abstract: An integral recording head, for use in a linear tape drive system, includes a circumferentially grooved roller guide assembly and a recording head actuator assembly. The circumferential groove feature is incorporated on the surfaces of the roller guide assembly, and provides a substantial frictional contact force that acts to reduce the lateral motion, and further attenuates high frequency lateral disturbances of the magnetic tape. The reduced high frequency content of the lateral disturbances significantly improves the ability of the actuator to achieve a desired track following control. The grooved roller guide assembly is formed integrally of two solid cylindrical contact surfaces separated by a circumferential slot that accommodates the recording head actuator assembly.

Abstract: An integral recording head, for use in a linear tape drive system, includes a circumferentially grooved roller guide assembly and a recording head actuator assembly. The circumferential groove feature is incorporated on the surfaces of the roller guide assembly, and provides a substantial frictional contact force that acts to reduce the lateral motion, and further attenuates high frequency lateral disturbances of the magnetic tape. The reduced high frequency content of the lateral disturbances significantly improves the ability of the actuator to achieve a desired track following control. The grooved roller guide assembly is formed integrally of two solid cylindrical contact surfaces separated by a circumferential slot that accommodates the recording head actuator assembly.

Abstract: A magnetic write head and method for bulk fabrication of the same are provided. A trench is formed in a nonmagnetic substrate. A first magnetically permeable layer is deposited in the trench of the substrate. An optional first insulating layer is deposited in the trench. A conducting circuit is defined in the trench. The conducting circuit creates the magnetic flux. An optional second insulating layer is deposited in the trench. Writer gaps are patterned and then a second magnetic layer is added over the second insulating layer. The substrate is divided to form individual write heads.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for writing timing-based magnetic servo band patterns on magnetic storage media. The apparatus includes a magnetic head and a tri-state driver. The driver is adapted to control three magnetic head states including two writes states having positive and negative current outputs, respectively, for performing a write sequence and a rest state, having no current output for avoiding overwriting of the magnetic pattern between write sequences. The driver is further adapted to gradually change the magnetic head state from a rest state to a write state before beginning a write sequence and to gradually change the magnetic head state back to a rest state upon completing a write sequence. Thus, strong uniform signal pulses are produced upon playback of the magnetic pattern.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a multi-track thin-film magnetoresistive tape head with precisely-aligned read/write track-pairs fabricated on a monolithic substrate wafer is provided. The wafer is fabricated using modified standard thin-film processes for fabricating direct access storage device heads and modified substrate lapping procedures. Gap-to-gap separation within each read/write track-pair is reduced to nearly the thickness of the substrate wafer. Fabricating on both sides of the wafer, may enable hundreds or thousands of head elements to be aligned in one step of the fabrication process while reducing the number of pieces in the completed head assembly.

Abstract: A recording head to simultaneously read or write data to and from a plurality of tracks on magnetic tape, while compensating for shrinkage or expansion caused by moisture, temperature, creep caused by tension in the tape, creep caused by dimensional instability of the tape, as well as other causes. A recording head in accordance with the invention includes a leading module and a trailing module. In order to accommodate fluctuation in tape dimensions due to expansion or shrinkage, the leading and trailing modules may be offset with respect to one another. By offsetting one module with respect to the other, selected read and write elements from one module may more closely align with certain tracks of an expanded or shrunk tape, while other read and write elements from the other module may more closely align with other tracks on the tape.

Abstract: In a tape having separate servo bands of patterns positioned laterally across the tape, the patterns of a separate servo band have at least one differentiating characteristic with respect to patterns of another of the separate servo bands. The differentiating characteristic allows identification of the separate servo bands. For example, the patterns of a separate servo band have differing azimuthal orientations of detectable transitions with respect to another servo band, such as being laterally inverted. In another, variations in the width of gaps of patterns are made with respect to another servo band. In another, variations are made in the number of the detectable transitions of patterns with respect to the patterns of another servo band.

Abstract: In a tape having separate servo bands of patterns positioned laterally across the tape, the patterns of a separate servo band have at least one differentiating characteristic with respect to patterns of another of the separate servo bands. The differentiating characteristic allows identification of the separate servo bands. For example, the patterns of a separate servo band have differing azimuthal orientations of detectable transitions with respect to another servo band, such as being laterally inverted. In another, variations in the width of gaps of patterns are made with respect to another servo band. In another, variations are made in the number of the detectable transitions of patterns with respect to the patterns of another servo band.

Abstract: In a tape having separate servo bands of patterns positioned laterally across the tape, the patterns of a separate servo band have at least one differentiating characteristic with respect to patterns of another of the separate servo bands. The differentiating characteristic allows identification of the separate servo bands. For example, the patterns of a separate servo band have differing azimuthal orientations of detectable transitions with respect to another servo band, such as being laterally inverted. In another, variations in the width of gaps of patterns are made with respect to another servo band. In another, variations are made in the number of the detectable transitions of patterns with respect to the patterns of another servo band.

Abstract: A magnetic write head and method for bulk fabrication of the same are provided. A trench is formed in a nonmagnetic substrate. A first magnetically permeable layer is deposited in the trench of the substrate. An optional first insulating layer is deposited in the trench. A conducting circuit is defined in the trench. The conducting circuit creates the magnetic flux. An optional second insulating layer is deposited in the trench. Writer gaps are patterned and then a second magnetic layer is added over the second insulating layer. The substrate is divided to form individual write heads.

Abstract: In magnetic tape having separate longitudinal servo bands of servo information with superimposed data information, the separate servo bands have selected different superimposed data information, to identify the separate servo bands for independent addressability. The servo information comprises non-parallel laterally extending transitions to indicate lateral positioning, and the selected different superimposed data information may comprise a lack thereof in portion(s) of the servo bands. Where the superimposed data information is longitudinal position information of the tape, the selected different superimposed data information may comprise different longitudinal position information of one or more servo band(s). The selected different superimposed data information may comprise a band identifier in the superimposed data information of one or more of the servo bands.

Abstract: A servo writer generates a linear servo track timing based servo pattern comprised of transitions that extend laterally of the track. At least three spaced apart write elements, two of parallel azimuthal orientation, and at least one of a different azimuthal orientation, write patterns corresponding to the write elements, fixing both the distance between transitions having different azimuthal orientation, the “A” distance, and the distance between transitions having parallel azimuthal orientation, the “B” distance. The fixed distances provide precise sensing of lateral position based on a measure of time over the “A” distance compared to time over the “B” distance.

Abstract: A magnetic write head and method for bulk fabrication of the same are provided. A trench is formed in a nonmagnetic substrate. A first magnetically permeable layer is deposited in the trench of the substrate. An optional first insulating layer is deposited in the trench. A conducting circuit is defined in the trench. The conducting circuit creates the magnetic flux. An optional second insulating layer is deposited in the trench. Writer gaps are patterned and then a second magnetic layer is added over the second insulating layer. The substrate is divided to form individual write heads.

Abstract: A tape movement constraint is provided for a tape drive system which moves a tape longitudinally along a tape path across a tape head, the tape having longitudinal tracks. The tape head has a track following servo system for moving the head laterally for following lateral movement of the tracks, where the tape is subject to lateral transient movement. A tape roller bearing closely adjacent the tape head is rotatable about a central axis parallel to the cylindrical peripheral surface, allowing the tape freedom of movement in the longitudinal direction. The tape roller bearing has a frictional cylindrical peripheral surface for contacting and engaging the surface of the tape and constraining movement of the tape in the lateral direction, thereby reducing the rate of the lateral transient movement of the tape to allow the track following servo system to follow the reduced rate lateral transient movement of the longitudinal tracks.