Detecting a servo error on a magnetic tape and identifying extent and location of the detected servo error by linked control marks
US5394280A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 14, 1993 |
| Grant date | Feb 28, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 14, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B15/087
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetic tape drive simultaneously senses on a magnetic tape three evenly spaced-apart servo track areas for servoing a multi-track magnetic head to follow a concurrent set of data tracks on the magnetic tape. The data tracks are arranged into a plurality of track groups. Each track group has a first and second subgroup of data tracks. The first subgroup of tracks are scanned in a first relative motion of the magnetic tape and magnetic head as a forward direction (tape is being spooled from a supply tape reel). The second subgroup of tracks are scanned in a second relative motion of the magnetic tape and magnetic head that is opposite in direction to the first relative direction and is a forward direction of scanning. While writing data in any one of the plural track groups, a servo dropout affecting most of the servo track areas is detected and indicated as a servo error. Writing is aborted. The relative position of the magnetic tape and head is detected at both longitudinal ends of the servo dropout. A servo dropout block (SDB), a tape control block, is written at each longitudinal end of the servo dropout only in the group of tracks in which data are being written. The tape sp…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.