Reducing deviation of read head position between writing and reading in a magnetic tape

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11955140-B2
Application number	US-202217647175-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2022
Priority date	Jan 6, 2022
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method, and computer program product for offsetting a reading head on a magnetic tape to improve verification. A processor determines a write head width, a read head width, and a track pitch based on determining an LTO standard of the magnetic tape. The processor determines a distance of the reading head from a writing head using the write head width, the read head width, and the track pitch, and causes a tape appliance to relocate the read head on the magnetic tape to the determined distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for offsetting a read head on a magnetic tape to improve verification, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to determine a write head width, a read head width, and a track pitch based on determining an LTO standard of the magnetic tape;
based on determining the LTO standard of the magnetic tape is older than the LTO standard of a tape appliance, program instructions to use an equation 0<s<W tp_old −W RH where s is the distance from a write head to an upper end of the read head, W RH is the read head width, and Wtp_old is the track pitch of the magnetic tape;
program instructions to determine a distance of the read head from the write head using the write head width, the read head width, and the track pitch using an equation 0<s<W tp −W RH , when (W RH <W tp ) where s is the distance from the write head to the upper end of the read head, W RH is the read head width, and W tp is the track pitch; and
program instructions to cause the tape appliance to relocate the read head on the magnetic tape to the determined distance, such that the read head does not extend beyond the track pitch.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein program instructions to determine the distance of a reading read head from a writing write head is using an equation

W

t
⁢
p

-

W

R
⁢
H

2

-

W

R
⁢
H

≤
s
≤

W

t
⁢
p

+

W

R
⁢
H

2

,

where s is the distance from the writing write head to an upper end of the reading read head, W WH is the writing write head width, W RH is the reading read head width, and W tp is the track pitch.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein program instructions to determine the distance of the read head from the write head is based on the distance that symmetrically distances the read head from the write head that travels in a forward direction and a backward direction.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein program instructions to cause the tape appliance to relocate the read head on the magnetic tape to the determined distance is by program instructions to use a servo engine attached to the read head.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Sawada Tatsuki
• Miyamura Tsuyoshi
• Masuda Setsuko
• Nishida Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• G11B19/041 Primary

  Detection or prevention of read or write errors · CPC title

• G11B5/00817

  on longitudinal tracks only, e.g. for serpentine format recording · CPC title

• G11B5/56 Primary

  with provision for moving the head {support} for the purpose of adjusting the position of the head relative to the record carrier, e.g. manual adjustment for azimuth correction or track centering ({G11B5/52,} G11B5/54, G11B5/58 take precedence) · CPC title

• G11B2020/183

  wherein at least one additional attempt is made to read or write the data when a first attempt is unsuccessful · CPC title

• G11B5/584

  for track following on tapes · CPC title