Tape heads for use with multiple tape formats
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorPeter VanderSalm Koeppe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A magnetic head according to one embodiment includes an array of elements, the elements being selected from a group consisting of data readers, data writers, and combinations thereof, wherein a first subset of the elements is operable for reading or writing data in a first tape format, wherein a second subset of the elements is operable for reading or writing data in a second tape format, at least some of the elements being present in both subsets, wherein a spacing of servo bands on a tape written in the first format is different than a spacing of servo bands on a tape written in the second format.
Claims20
A magnetic head, comprising:
- an array of elements, the elements being selected from a group consisting of data readers, data writers, and combinations thereof;
- wherein a first subset of the elements is operable for reading or writing data in a first tape format,
- wherein a second subset of the elements is operable for reading or writing data in a second tape format, at least some of the elements being present in both subsets,
- wherein a spacing of servo bands on a tape written in the first format is different than a spacing of servo bands on a tape written in the second format.
A magnetic head, comprising:
- a first array of elements associated with a first tape format, the elements of the first array being selected from a group consisting of data readers, data writers, and combinations thereof;
- a second array of elements interspersed with the first array of elements, the elements of the second array being selected from a group consisting of data readers, data writers, and combinations thereof, the second array of elements and a subset of the first array of elements being associated with a second tape format;
- and
- servo readers for reading servo bands on a tape,
- wherein a number of servo bands supported in each of the formats is one more than a number of data bands in the particular format.
A magnetic head, comprising:
- an array of elements, the elements being selected from a group consisting of data readers, data writers, and combinations thereof;
- wherein a first subset of the elements is operable for reading or writing data in a first tape format,
- wherein a second subset of the elements is operable for reading or writing data in a second tape format, at least some of the elements being present in both subsets,
- wherein the elements are aligned laterally along a line transverse to the direction of travel of the magnetic medium over the head,
- wherein a spacing of servo bands on a tape written in the first format is different than a spacing of servo bands on a tape written in the second format,
- wherein a center-to-center spacing of the elements in the first subset of elements is at least one of an integer multiple and an integer ratio of a center-to-center spacing of the elements in the second subset of elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.