Apparatus with multi-channel tape head module having controllable expansion elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10902873-B1
Application number	US-201916578324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 21, 2019
Priority date	Sep 21, 2019
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes a module having an array of transducers, and at least two expansion elements positioned proximate the array of transducers. The expansion elements are arranged side by side along a line extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the array of transducers, wherein the array of transducers includes at least three servo readers. A controller is electrically coupled to the expansion elements, and is configured to individually control an extent of expansion of each expansion element based on feedback from the servo readers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a module having an array of transducers, and at least two expansion elements positioned proximate the array of transducers for expanding a section of the array of transducers adjacent thereto in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the array of transducers thereby altering a pitch of adjacent transducers in the section of the array of transducers, the expansion elements being arranged side by side along a line extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the array of transducers, wherein the array of transducers includes at least three servo readers; and
a controller electrically coupled to the expansion elements, the controller being configured to individually control an extent of expansion of each expansion element based on feedback from the servo readers.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the expansion elements are thermal expansion elements.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the expansion elements are piezo expansion elements.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein a number of the expansion elements is N, wherein a number of the servo readers is at least N+1.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein a number of the servo readers is M, wherein a number of the expansion elements is greater than M.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein outermost ones of the expansion elements are positioned at least in part beyond outer transducers of the array of transducers.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein outermost ones of the expansion elements are positioned entirely beyond outer transducers of the array of transducers.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the array of transducers,
wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the array of transducers.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine, using servo information derived from the servo readers, whether the pitch of adjacent data transducers in each section of the array of transducers is different than an estimated pitch of data tracks on a magnetic recording tape to be operated on by the transducers; and
for each section of the array of transducers individually, in response to determining that the pitch of adjacent data transducers in the section is different than the estimated pitch of data tracks on the magnetic recording tape, causing at least one expansion element positioned proximate to the section to change an extent of expansion thereof for adjusting the pitch of the transducers in the section.

10. A method, comprising:
receiving servo information from at least three servo readers in an array of transducers on a module as a magnetic recording tape moves over the servo readers, the servo readers defining sections of the array of transducers, each section having at least one data transducer;
determining, using the servo information, whether a pitch of adjacent data transducers in each section of the array of transducers is different than an estimated pitch of data tracks on the magnetic recording tape to be operated on by the data transducers; and
for each section of the array of transducers individually, in response to determining that the pitch of adjacent data transducers in the section is different than the estimated pitch of data tracks on the magnetic recording tape, causing at least one expansion element positioned proximate to the section to change an extent of expansion thereof for adjusting the pitch of the transducers in the section.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the expansion elements are thermal expansion elements.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the expansion elements are piezo expansion elements.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein a number of the expansion elements is N, wherein a number of the servo readers is at least N+1.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein a number of the servo readers is M, wherein a number of the expansion elements is greater than M.

15. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein determining whether the pitch of adjacent data transducers in each section of the array of transducers is different than the estimated pitch of data tracks on the magnetic recording tape comprises reading adjacent servo tracks of the magnetic recording tape and deriving a distance therebetween.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 , comprising adjusting tension of the moving magnetic recording tape over the array of transducers for altering a width of the magnetic recording tape.

17. The method as recited in claim 10 , comprising skewing the array of transducers away from a nominal angle relative to the direction of tape travel thereacross for altering a pitch of the array of transducers presented to the magnetic recording tape.

18. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein outermost ones of the expansion elements are positioned at least in part beyond outer transducers of the array of transducers.

19. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a controller to cause the controller to:
receive, by the controller, servo information from at least three servo readers in an array of transducers on a module as a magnetic recording tape moves over the servo readers, the servo readers defining sections of the array of transducers, each section having at least one data transducer;
determine, by the controller using the servo information, whether a pitch of adjacent data transducers in each section of the array of transducers is different than an estimated pitch of data tracks on the magnetic recording tape to be operated on by the data transducers; and
for each section of the array of transducers individually, in response to determining that the pitch of adjacent data transducers in the section is different than the estimated pitch of data tracks on the magnetic recording tape, cause, by the controller, at least one expansion element positioned proximate to the section to change an extent of expansion thereof for adjusting the pitch of the transducers in the section.

20. A computer program product as recited in claim 19 , comprising program instructions executable by a controller to cause the controller to:
adjust tension of the moving magnetic recording tape over the array of transducers for altering a width of the magnetic recording tape.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Seagle David
• Biskeborn Robert G
• Rothuizen Hugo E

Classifications

• G11B5/584

  for track following on tapes · CPC title

• G11B5/00826 Primary

  comprising a plurality of single poles or gaps or groups thereof operative at the same time · CPC title

• G11B5/5926 Primary

  recorded in separate tracks, e.g. servo tracks · CPC title

• G11B5/588

  by controlling the position of the rotating heads (by controlling the speed of the record carrier G11B15/467; by controlling speed of the heads G11B15/473; {by moving the transducing part of the head relative to the headwheel, in the direction of the scanning movement G11B15/1841}) · CPC title

• G11B5/5921

  using auxiliary signals, e.g. pilot signals · CPC title