Magnetic-tape drive and magnetic-tape head compatible with multiple tape formats

摘要

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to the design and implementation of backward-compatible magnetic tape drives (102) that are read/write compatible with a current magnetic-tape format (1820) as well as one or more previous magnetic-tape formats (1802 and 1804). Embodiments of the present invention include read/write tape-head configurations (1902, 1904, 1906, 1908-1923, 1930, 1932, 1934, 2102) and corresponding magnetic-tape-drive-component features (518) that allow a magnetic-tape drive to read and write magnetic tapes formatted according to different formats.

主权项

1. A magnetic-tape head used in an electromechanical tape-access component within a magnetic-tape drive, the magnetic-tape head comprising:
a substrate; and a column including a set of servo elements, a set of single-format tape-head element pairs, and a set of multi-format tape-head element pairs, fabricated on an active portion of the substrate, wherein the set of servo elements consists of a first servo element and a second servo element, wherein the set of servo elements includes all servo elements of the magnetic-tape head, wherein the first servo element is disposed at a first end of the column, wherein the second servo element is disposed at a second end of the column, wherein the first end and the second end of the column are aligned along an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of a magnetic tape within the magnetic-tape drive, wherein the set of single-format tape-head element pairs consists of sixteen single-format tape-head element pairs, wherein the set of multi-format tape-head element pairs consists of sixteen multi-format tape-head element pairs, wherein the set of single-format tape-head element pairs are regularly and alternatively interleaved with the set of multi-format tape-head element pairs, wherein the set of single-format tape-head element pairs and the set of multi-format tape-head element pairs are disposed in the column between the first servo element and the second servo element.