Apparatus, system, and method for timing based servo tape formating

A system to format a timing-based servo pattern, the system comprising:

• a magnetic tape configured to store digital data;
• a servo write module configured to generate a plurality of first and second write signals;
• a first write head comprising at least four write elements configured to each concurrently write a stripe to the magnetic tape, wherein in response to at least one first write signal a first and third write element write a base number of stripes to a plurality of first stripe patterns, a second and fourth write element write the base number of stripes to a plurality of second stripe patterns;
• and
• a second write head comprising at least two write elements configured to each concurrently write a stripe to the magnetic tape, wherein in response to at least one second write signal a fifth write element writes an incremental number of stripes to a specified first stripe pattern of the plurality of stripe patterns to form a first incremental stripe pattern and a sixth write element writes the incremental number of stripes to a specified second stripe pattern of the plurality of second stripe patterns to form a second incremental stripe pattern.

An apparatus to format a timing-based servo pattern, the apparatus comprising:

• means for concurrently writing a base number of stripes to a plurality of first stripe patterns with a first and third write element and writing the base number of stripes to a plurality of second stripe patterns with a second and fourth write element, the base stripe writing means comprises at least four write elements, and the base stripe writing means writes stripes in response to at least one first write signal;
• means for concurrently writing an incremental number of stripes to a specified first stripe pattern of the plurality of first stripe patterns with a fifth write element to form a first incremental stripe pattern and writing the incremental number of stripes to a specified second stripe pattern of the plurality of second stripe patterns with a sixth write element to form a second incremental stripe pattern, wherein the incremental stripe writing means writes stripes in response to at least one second write signal;
• and
• means for detecting a stripe written by the first write head with a read element and wherein the incremental stripe writing means writes the incremental number of stripes in response to detecting the written stripe.