Abstract: A method and apparatus for loading tape from a single reel tape cartridge into a take-up reel. The hub filler is securely and releaseably attached to the take-up reel upon the hub filler entering the take-up reel. This attachment provides adequate securement between the hub filler and the take-up reel for the tape to be wrapped around the take-up reel during loading of the tape without the hub filler partially ejecting from the take-up reel. By preventing the hub filler from partially ejecting from the take-up reel, damage to the tape and the tape drive loading mechanism is mitigated. Upon unloading of the tape from the tape drive, the hub filler can be readily released from its attachment to the take-up reel.

Abstract: A method of loading a tape from a single reel tape cartridge into a take-up reel. Position sensors detect position of a guide arm as a tape loading mechanism loads and unloads tapes from a single reel tape cartridge. The position sensors are accurate and eliminate problems that occur from small misalignments of hub filler access with the access of the take-up reel. Further, the position sensors enable the hub filler to consistently attach to a leader pin at the end of the tape of the single reel tape cartridge without frequent malfunctions.

Abstract: To provide accurate measurement of rotational velocity and an adequate bandwidth for servo control as a function of the measurement over a wide range of velocities, the present invention utilizes unique speed computation algorithms based on a combination of fine and coarse shaft velocity measurements from a tachometer. The preferred embodiments utilize control signals derived from the velocity measurements to control motor speed, for example, to provide servo control of a digital tape drive. The preferred embodiments utilize an optical encoder coupled to a reel-shaft to generate tachometer pulses as the shaft rotates. The coarse measurement may actually take two different forms for different speed ranges. In one range, this measurement involves counting the number of pulses in a sampling interval. In the other range, the coarse measurement entails counting the number of sampling intervals per detection of a tachometer pulse.

Abstract: The present specification discloses a preferred a preferred method, apparatus, and system for calibrating a magnetic tape system. The magnetic tape system comprises at least one head mounted within a head drum, a magnetic tape that has a data region and a no data region, the magnetic tape being contiguous with the head, and a device for providing a relative motion between the magnetic tape and the head. A preferred embodiment of the present invention has the following. A reference track provided on the magnetic tape. The reference track is located in the no data region, at a constant distance from the data region. A processor programmed to determine the time required for the head to travel from the provided reference track to the data region.

Abstract: A method of loading a tape from a single reel tape cartridge into a take-up reel. Position sensors detect position of a guide arm as a tape loading mechanism loads and unloads tapes from a single reel tape cartridge. The position sensors are accurate and eliminate problems that occur from small misalignments of hub filler access with the access of the take-up reel. Further, the position sensors enable the hub filler to consistently attach to a leader pin at the end of the tape of the single reel tape cartridge without frequent malfunctions.

Abstract: An electronically damped actuator control system that determines an amount of damping to be applied to an actuator or other moving part. The amount of damping applied is proportional to a measured velocity of the actuator. The velocity is measured by at least one of (1) determining an amount of back-EMF generated according to the motion of the actuator, or, (2) based on a servo track or other positioning mechanism that identifies a position of the actuator or moving part. The amount of damping determined is fed back and summed into a force demand that is applied to a motor or other device utilized to apply force on the actuator or other moving part.

Abstract: An apparatus for calibrating a tape drive that includes a rotating scanner for reading the tracks on the tape and a tape drive servo for transporting the tape in response to a control signal. The apparatus includes a signal generator and a controller. The signal generator generates an indexing signal based on the rotational position of the scanner. The controller is coupled to the scanner, the tape drive servo and the signal generator, and provides a control signal to the tape drive servo causing the tape drive servo to transport the tape at either above or below a nominal speed. The controller detects an envelope for each of a plurality of scanned signals and the sub code data within each of the scanned signals, determines an envelope measurement for each envelope based on at least one sample magnitude of the envelope and measures a delay time for each of the scanned signals. The delay time is based on the indexing signal and the detection of the sub code data.

Abstract: To control operations of an arcuate scanning head assembly, servo signals are written in one or more designated servo regions along a recording tape, for example along one or both edges of the recording area on the tape. To minimize the space occupied by the servo signals, the servo signals are always written with an azimuth that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tape. In the preferred embodiment, servo signals aligned with adjacent tracks are written at two different positions within a servo region. As a read head passes over a track and the servo region, the head should overlap the servo signal aligned with that track and a portion of the servo signal aligned with the adjacent track. A control system samples the signal from the read head in a first time window corresponding to passage of the head across a burst aligned with the track and in a second time window corresponding to passage of the head across a burst aligned with the adjacent track.

Abstract: The present specification discloses a preferred method, apparatus, and system for calibrating a magnetic tape system. The magnetic tape system comprises at least one head mounted within a head drum, a magnetic tape that has a data region and a no data region, the magnetic tape being contiguous with the head, and a device for providing a relative motion between the magnetic tape and the head. A preferred embodiment of the present invention has the following. A reference track provided on the magnetic tape. The reference track is located in the no data region, at a constant distance from the data region. A processor programmed to determine the time required for the head to travel from the provided reference track to the data region.

Abstract: The present specification discloses a preferred a preferred method, apparatus, and system for calibrating a magnetic tape system. The magnetic tape system comprises at least one head mounted within a head drum, a magnetic tape that has a data region and a no data region, the magnetic tape being contiguous with the head, and a device for providing a relative motion between the magnetic tape and the head. A preferred embodiment of the present invention has the following. A reference track provided on the magnetic tape. The reference track is located in the no data region, at a constant distance from the data region. A processor programmed to determine the time required for the head to travel from the provided reference track to the data region.

Abstract: To control operations of an arcuate scanning head assembly, servo signals are written in one or more designated servo regions along a recording tape, for example along one or both edges of the recording area on the tape. To minimize the space occupied by the servo signals, the servo signals are always written with an azimuth that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tape. In the preferred embodiment, servo signals aligned with adjacent tracks are written at two different positions within a servo region. As a read head passes over a track and the servo region, the head should overlap the servo signal aligned with that track and a portion of the servo signal aligned with the adjacent track. A control system samples the signal from the read head in a first time window corresponding to passage of the head across a burst aligned with the track and in a second time window corresponding to passage of the head across a burst aligned with the adjacent track.

Abstract: A scanner in a helical tape drive is calibrated to read a plurality of data track groups recorded on a tape via a servoing system controller that monitors a scanned signal, detects an offset region for an appended group of tracks, calibrates the scanner to the appended group of tracks, stores alignment data associated with the calibration in a local memory, and re-scans the group of tracks by configuring the tape drive's servoing system in accordance with the stored alignment data for the appended group of tracks. The alignment data for a plurality of appended groups on the tape can be stored and later retrieved from the local memory and used within the servoing system controller to quickly align the scanner to the appended group of tracks without having to recalibrate the scanner to each of the appended groups during subsequent read operations.

Abstract: An apparatus for calibrating a tape drive that includes a rotating scanner for reading the tracks on the tape and a tape drive servo for transporting the tape in response to a control signal. The apparatus includes a signal generator and a controller. The signal generator generates an indexing signal based on the rotational position of the scanner. The controller is coupled to the scanner, the tape drive servo and the signal generator, and provides a control signal to the tape drive servo causing the tape drive servo to transport the tape at either above or below a nominal speed. The controller detects an envelope for each of a plurality of scanned signals and the sub code data within each of the scanned signals, determines an envelope measurement for each envelope based on at least one sample magnitude of the envelope and measures a delay time for each of the scanned signals. The delay time is based on the indexing signal and the detection of the sub code data.

Abstract: In an arcuate scanner, a read head senses passage over a reference stripe recorded on a moving recording tape. Detection and logic circuitry respond to the read head signal to detect the reference stripe and determine an angular position of the read head with respect to an index associated with the arcuate scanner head assembly. Timing operations of the arcuate scanner and alignment of the arcuate scanner head assembly with regard to an information recording region on the tape are controlled in reference to the detection of the reference stripe.

Abstract: In an arcuate scanner, a read head senses passage over a reference stripe recorded on a moving recording tape. Detection and logic circuitry respond to the read head signal to detect the reference stripe and determine an angular position of the read head with respect to an index associated with the arcuate scanner head assembly. Timing operations of the arcuate scanner and alignment of the arcuate scanner head assembly with regard to an information recording region on the tape are controlled in reference to the detection of the reference stripe.

Abstract: A servoing system is provided for use in an arcuate scanner having an arcuate scanner head assembly (ASHA) that has least one transducer on a rotatable drum. The servoing system includes a first detection circuit, a second detection circuit, logic, and a positioning apparatus. The first detection circuit is coupled to the transducer and detects alignment identifiers that are recorded on the tape and sensed by the transducer. The second detection circuit is also coupled to the transducer and detects an envelope of the scanned signal during the scan. The logic compares the alignment identifiers to determine if the ASHA is properly aligned with the tracks on the tape, and in response outputs a fine error signal. The logic also compares the envelope as detected during the scan with a threshold value and outputs a coarse error signal in response.

Abstract: An arcuate scanner in accord with the invention records information on a longitudinal tape in a predetermined format. The format includes a top servo region and a lower servo region approximately twice as wide as one data track width. The top servo region contains a burst of recorded servo signal at a predetermined location. The lower servo region contains another burst of recorded servo signal at a predetermined location. Between each pair of top and lower servo regions, the information format includes two arcuate data tracks, containing a series of data blocks of a specified format. The locations of the servo bursts in the respective servo regions alternate between two lateral positions in adjacent servo tracks. During reading operations, a read head centered over one data track will pass both the servo regions around that data track and a portion of each of the servo regions around an adjacent track.

Abstract: In an arcuate scanner, a read head senses passage over a reference stripe recorded on a moving recording tape. Detection and logic circuitry respond to the read head signal to detect the reference stripe and determine an angular position of the read head with respect to an index associated with the arcuate scanner head assembly. Timing operations of the arcuate scanner and alignment of the arcuate scanner head assembly with regard to an information recording region on the tape are controlled in reference to the detection of the reference stripe.

Abstract: A method and arrangement that provides the proper timing for starting the search for a format timing mark on arcuate data tracks recorded by an arcuate scanner prevents mis-identification of the format timing mark caused by same azimuth interference. Mis-identification of the format timing mark is avoided by preventing reading of the signal from a first azimuth read head of arcuate scanner until the read head reaches a safe zone in its data track. The safe zone is a pad area written by a first azimuth write head, located on a data track between two pad sections of second azimuth data tracks written by second azimuth write heads. In the safe zone, it is not possible for the first azimuth read head to read two adjacent pad sections of the first azimuth written by two different first azimuth write heads. Once in the safe zone, the read signal from the first azimuth read head can be safely read to look for the format timing mark.

Abstract: A read/write head for an information recording apparatus having a liquid bearing lubricant between a rotating storage medium and the read/write head is disclosed. The head is provided an actuator to position the read/write head over the rotating storage medium. The head includes a slider body having at least a first and second regions; and an interface element comprising a transducer interacting with the storage medium and mounted on the first region of the slider body. A relative motion exists between the head and the rotating storage medium and the slider body is supported by the liquid bearing lubricant during such motion, such that the first region of the slider body is supported at a first distance above the storage medium, and the second region of the slider body is supported at a second distance above the storage medium, whereby the first region of the slider body has a substantially higher drag than the second region when the head moves relative to the storage medium.