Servo writing and decoding position error signal for linear tape drives

摘要

An apparatus for writing a longitudinal servo track on a magnetic medium (508) comprising: a read/write head (506) comprising a plurality of servo write elements (512) configured to write respective servo stripe elements (514 A1, 514 B1) forming successive servo frames on a tape and one or more read elements disposed to transduce one or more servo stripe elements written by the plurality of servo write elements; and control logic (502) operative, in response to detection of one or more stripe elements previously written by at least one of the plurality of servo write elements (512) on the tape, to selectively energize one or more of the plurality of servo write elements (512) to create a servo frame on the tape. Control logic (502) may operatively control operation of a pulse generator (504) which in turn energizes servo write elements (512).