Recording system having head transducers with controlled skew

A method for reading and writing signals onto at least one track of a magnetic medium, wherein the magnetic medium has a servo signal recorded in a first level of the magnetic medium at a first angle with respect to direction of travel of the magnetic medium, the method comprising:

• reading the servo signal by means of a first transducer having a gap configured on the first transducer at said first angle with respect to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium;
• performing at any given time not more than one of the functions comprising reading and writing a data signal on said at least one track of the magnetic medium by means of a second transducer having a gap configured on the second transducer at a second angle with respect to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium, said second angle being sufficiently different from the first angle that the data signal is substantially independently detectable by the second transducer from the servo signal;
• synchronizing the reading of the servo and data signals in response to a synchronization signal detected by the second transducer, with respect to the servo signal read by the first transducer by comparing a phase of the servo signal read by the first transducer with a phase of a synchronization character read by the second transducer;
• providing a phase correction to an output of one of said first and second transducers to synchronize the phase of the servo and data signals for a period of time;
• and
• controlling a lateral position of the second transducer on the magnetic medium in response to the servo signal read by the first transducer.

A magnetic recorder for reading and writing signals onto at least one track of a magnetic medium wherein said magnetic medium has a servo signal recorded in a first level of the magnetic medium at a first angle with respect to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium comprising:

• a first transducer having a gap configured on the transducer substantially at said first angle with respect to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium such that the servo signal may be read by said first transducer;
• a second transducer having a gap configured on the transducer at a second angle with respect to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium, said second angle being sufficiently different from the first angle such that the second transducer reads or writes a data signal on said at least one track of the magnetic medium so that the data signal is detectable by the second transducer substantially independently from the servo signal;
• means electrically connected to the first transducer and responsive to the servo signal read by the said first transducer for providing a position signal for use in controlling the position of the second transducer for reading and writing a data signal with respect to the magnetic medium;
• and
• means responsive to signals from the first and second transducers for synchronizing reading of the servo signals and the data signals by said first and second transducers which comprises circuitry for comparing a phase of a servo signal read by the first transducer with a phase of a data signal read by the second transducer and for providing a phase correction to an output of one of said first and second transducers to synchronize the phase of the servo and data signals for a period of time.

A method for reading and writing signals onto at least one track of a magnetic medium, wherein the magnetic medium has a servo signal recorded in a first level of the magnetic medium at a first angle with respect to direction of travel of the magnetic medium, the method comprising:

• reading the servo signal by means of a first transducer having a gap configured on the first transducer at said first angle with respect to direction of travel of the magnetic medium;
• performing at any given time not more than one of the functions comprising reading and writing a data signal on said at least one track of the magnetic medium by means of a second transducer having a gap configured on the second transducer at a second angle with respect to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium, said second angle being sufficiently different from the first angle that the data signal is substantially independently detectable by the second transducer from the servo signal;
• synchronizing the reading of the servo and data signals in response to a synchronization signal detected by the second transducer, with respect to the servo signal read by the first transducer by providing an output signal representing a phase difference between a phase of the servo signal and a reference signal which comprises an adjusted phase of the data signal;
• applying an oscillation signal at a selected frequency to the output signal to provide an oscillator output signal;
• dividing the oscillator output signal to provide a divider output signal at another selected frequency;
• adjusting the phase of the divider output signal based upon a difference signal and a phase difference between the data signal and the servo signal, thereby producing said reference signal;
• comparing the phase of the oscillator output signal and the data signal to provide said difference signal representing phase of the servo signal with respect to the data signal;
• and
• using the oscillator output signal as a clocking signal for clocking reading of the servo and data signals;
• and
• controlling a lateral position of the second transducer on the magnetic medium in response to the servo signal read by the first transducer.