High capacity captive tape drive

A tape drive, comprising:

• an upper supply reel;
• an upper take-up reel disposed adjacent to the upper supply reel in a first direction;
• a first roller disposed adjacent to the upper supply reel;
• a second roller disposed between the upper take-up reel and the first roller, wherein the upper supply reel, the upper take-up reel, and the first and second rollers are configured to support a first tape;
• a lower supply reel disposed adjacent to the upper supply reel in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• a lower take-up reel disposed adjacent to the lower supply reel in the first direction;
• a third roller disposed adjacent to the lower supply reel;
• a fourth roller disposed between the lower take-up reel and the third roller, wherein the lower supply reel, the lower take-up reel, and the third and fourth rollers are configured to support a second tape;
• a tape head disposed between the first, second, third, and fourth rollers, wherein the tape head comprises one or more modules, each module comprising 64 writers and 64 readers;
• and
• a first actuator comprising one or more bars, the one or more bars being configured to move one or more of the first tape or the second tape towards and away from the tape head.

A tape drive, comprising:

• an upper assembly, the upper assembly comprising:
• a first supply reel;
• a first take-up reel;
• one or more first rollers disposed between the first supply reel and the first take-up reel;
• and
• a first tape;
• a lower assembly disposed adjacent to the upper assembly, the lower assembly comprising:
• a second supply reel;
• a second take-up reel;
• one or more second rollers disposed between the second supply reel and the second take-up reel;
• and
• a second tape;
• a tape head disposed between the one or more first rollers and the one or more second rollers, wherein the tape head comprises two modules, each module comprising 64 writers and 64 readers, and wherein the tape head is configured to write data to each of the first and second tapes using the 64 writers and to read verify newly written data using the 64 readers;
• means for moving the tape head in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction;
• and
• means for moving one or more of the first tape or the second tape in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and a fourth direction opposite the third direction, the means for moving one or more of the first tape or the second tape comprising one or more bars configured to contact one of the first tape or the second tape, wherein:
• the tape head is disposed on a first side of the first tape or the second tape,
• the means for moving one or more of the first tape or the second tape is disposed on a second side of the first tape or the second tape opposite the first side, and
• the one or more bars of the means for moving one or more of the first tape or the second tape are configured to extend to the first side of the first tape or the second tape.