Method and arrangement for servoing and formatting magnetic recording tape
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsTurguy Goker, William Buchan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims8
A method of aligning an arcuate scan head assembly with respect to a recording tape, comprising:
- rotating an arcuate scanner head assembly about an assembly axis, said arcuate scanner head assembly comprising a read head and a write head radially mounted on the assembly;
- moving a recording tape longitudinally and across the assembly axis, the recording tape having a readable stripe extending along the length of the recording tape at a predetermined lateral position on the recording tape;
- in response to a signal from the read head, detecting passage of the read head across the readable stripe;
- determining an angular relationship of the read head with respect to a rotational index when the read head crosses the readable stripe;
- and
- adjusting a directional alignment of the arcuate scanner head assembly with regard to an information recording region on the recording tape, in response to the angular relationship of the read head with respect to the rotational index.
An accurate scanning system, comprising:
- an arcuate scanner having a plurality of scanner heads, the arcuate scanner performing read and write operations on the recording tape;
- a circuit responsive to read signals from one of the heads for detecting passage of the one head over a readable stripe on the recording tape;
- an index sensor;
- a circuit responsive to detection of passage of the one head over the readable stripe and an index signal from the sensor for determining an angular position of the first head with respect to an index point;
- a servo control alignment system coupled to the arcuate scanner to selectively align the arcuate scanner with regard to the recording tape;
- and
- a circuit responsive to the angular position of the one head for controlling the servo control alignment system in response to the angular relationship of the one head with respect to the rotational index.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.