DYNAMIC SKEW CORRECTION FOR ROTATING HEAD MAGNETIC RECORDER

摘要

DYNAMIC SKEW CORRECTION FOR ROTATING HEAD MAGNETIC RECORDER Parallelism between the track on magnetic tape and the path of the rotating head is dynamically adjusted and maintained by adjusting one or both of the entry or exit guides guiding the tape as it helically wraps a mandrel. The mandrel has two halves that flank the rotating head so that as the tape wraps the mandrel, the rotating head traverses the tape at an oblique angle. Skew error is represented by a lack of parallelism between the track on the tape and the path of the rotating head across the tape. The skew error may be corrected by laterally shifting either the entry or exit tape edge guide without distorting the track over a limited lateral range of movement by the guides. The entry and exit edge guides are continuous-compliant air-bearing guides. Similarly, the mandrel that supports the tape adjacent the rotating head is also air bearing. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Detection of head to track alignment to provide a skew error signal to the present skew error correction invention can be accomplished a number of ways, but is preferably accomplished as described in the commonly assigned U.S. Patent 3,845,500 which issued, filed October 29, 1974, entitled "Head to Track Alignment in a Rotating Head Magnetic Tape Unit" by G.A. Hart.