Appended data recording on magnetic tape

A system for appending data to existing data on magnetic tape comprising:

• a tape head for accessing the tape, the tape head comprising a write module between a leading read module in front of the write module in the direction of tape travel past the tape head and a trailing read module in back of the write module in the direction of tape travel past the tape head, the write module operative to write data simultaneously on at least one data track on the tape, each read module operative to simultaneously read at least one data track on the tape;
• a tape drive for moving magnetic tape past the tape head in the tape direction;
• a data write circuit in communication with the write module, the data write circuit operative to generate write module write signals from received data;
• a data read circuit in communication with the leading read module and the trailing read module, the data read circuit operative to generate transmitted data from read module read signals;
• and
• a control unit in communication with the data write circuit and the data read circuit, the control unit operative to
• (a) enable the data read circuit to read existing data with the leading read module,
• (b) enable the data read circuit to determine the end of the existing data from the data read by the leading read module,
• (c) delay a gap period to introduce a gap between the existing data and appended data,
• (d) enable the data write circuit to write appended data with the write module following the gap, and
• (e) enable the data read circuit to read the appended data with the trailing read module.

A method for appending a new block of data a gap distance after an existing block of data on magnetic tape moving past a tape head in a tape direction, the tape head including a write module for appending data, the method comprising:

• reading the existing block of data with a read module leading the write module in the tape direction;
• determining the end of the existing data from the data read by the leading read module;
• delaying a gap period to introduce the gap between the existing block of data and the new block of data to be appended;
• writing the new block of data following the gap with the write module;
• and
• verifying the written block of data by reading the written data with a read module following the write module in the tape direction.