Hybrid tape head assembly and drive for accepting the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502059-B2
Application number	US-201514622726-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	May 13, 2011
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A head assembly according to one embodiment includes at least one module having magnetic transducers for reading and/or writing to a magnetic tape; electronics electrically coupled to the transducers, the electronics comprising at least one of amplifiers; bias circuitry; write drivers; write resistors; a memory device; and a chip with at least one of identification information about the head assembly, customization data, and firmware; and a connector for detachably interfacing to a drive having a head region for receiving the head assembly. A method according to one embodiment includes inserting a head assembly in a head region of a magnetic tape drive, the head assembly having one or more modules containing a plurality magnetic transducers and one of amplifiers, write drives, or bias circuitry; wherein upon receiving the head assembly the drive is at least one of a functional drive, an updated drive, and a legacy drive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head assembly, comprising:
at least one module having magnetic transducers for reading and/or writing to a magnetic tape;
electronics electrically coupled to the transducers, the electronics comprising a component selected from a group consisting of: amplifiers; bias circuitry; write drivers; write resistors; a memory device; and a chip with at least one of identification information about the head assembly, customization data, and firmware;
a connector for detachably interfacing to a drive having a head region for detachably receiving the head assembly; and
one or more datums for establishing a location of tape bearing surfaces and the transducers relative to the drive,
wherein the datums accommodate up to and including at least 6 degrees of freedom associated with positioning the tape bearing surfaces and the transducers of the head assembly.

2. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronics include the amplifiers, the amplifiers being servo channel amplifiers.

3. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronics further comprise multiplexers for switching between multiple sets of readers and/or writers.

4. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronics are positioned proximate to the at least one module.

5. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronics are capable of wireless communication with the drive.

6. The head assembly of claim 1 , further comprising mechanical tape guiding components.

7. The head assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one actuator for adjusting the position of the transducers relative to the head assembly.

8. The head assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a skew adjustment mechanism.

9. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transducers include readers, wherein the electronics include the amplifiers, the amplifiers being read amplifiers.

10. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transducers include writers, wherein the electronics include the write drivers.

11. The head assembly of claim 10 , wherein the write drivers are embodied on a chip.

12. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transducers include writers, wherein the electronics include the write resistors.

13. The head assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronics further include a chip with customization data stored therein.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Biskeborn Robert G
• Herget Philipp
• Liang Jason

Classifications

• G11B5/29

  Structure or manufacture of unitary devices formed of plural heads for more than one track {(G11B5/33, G11B5/49 and subgroups take precedence; in thin film structure G11B5/31)} · CPC title

• G11B5/50 Primary

  Interchangeable mountings, e.g. for replacement of head without readjustment · CPC title

• G11B5/265

  Structure or manufacture of a head with more than one gap for erasing, recording or reproducing on the same track (G11B5/33 takes precedence {in thin film structures G11B5/31}) · CPC title

• G11B15/60

  Guiding record carrier (guiding devices structurally associated with magazines or cassettes G11B23/04) · CPC title

• G11B5/584

  for track following on tapes · CPC title