Method of making an arcuate scan tape drive

摘要

An arcuate scan tape drive for transferring data to and from a data tape, including a base with four side walls and a cover, which base and cover together have a 3+E,fra 1/2+EE inch form factor. In one embodiment, the head carrier assembly is provided at an oblique angle with respect to the data tape and the front surface is conically shaped. Thus, during rotation of the head carrier assembly, the recording heads are proximate to the data tape during read or write operations, but are spaced away from the data tape at other times. The head carrier assembly includes an inside-out spin motor for rotating the head carrier assembly and a pivot motor structure at the rear of the head carrier assembly for pivoting the head carrier assembly in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of advancement of the tape. The spin motor and pivoting structures receive servo signals from a controller so as to continuously adjust the position of the core elements with respect to the data tape so as to align the core elements with the arcuately-shaped data tracks.