Method and apparatus for positioning a magnetic head in a magnetic layer memory system using tracking by reading a spaced pair of corresponding subtracks

US5257148A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Tandberg Data ASA · NO

Inventors

• Erik Solhjell · Oslo, NO
• Nicolai W. Christie · Sandefjord, NO

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 6, 1992
• Grant date: Oct 26, 1993
• Expiry date: Aug 6, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G11B5/58
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

For the accurate positioning of a magnetic head to a track of a moving recording medium in a magnetic layer memory system, particularly a magnetic tape recorder, whereby a magnetic head is displaceable to different tracks in the transverse direction of the recording medium, signals are respectively recorded in tracks that are formed of two sub-tracks separate from one another by a narrow space. A write head that contains two write sub-heads separate from one another by a gap is provided for this purpose. The signals are read from the sub-tracks by two read sub-heads provided in a read head, whereby the respective read sub-heads are fashioned shorter in the transverse direction of the recording medium than the respective sub-tracks. Dependent on read signals of the two read sub-heads, the magnetic head is displaced in the transverse direction of the recording medium such that the magnetic head follows the track with optimum precision.