International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Kevin Bruce Judd

Randy Clark Inch

Nhan Xuan Bui

Armando Jesus Argumedo

Mark Alfred Lantz

Ernest Stewart Gale

Reed Alan Hancock

David H F Harper

Eiji Ogura

Tomoko Taketomi

Simeon Furrer

Wayne Isami Imaino

Angeliki Pantazi

Pamela Ruth Nylander-Hill

David Lee Swanson

William Marvin Dyer

Kazuhiro Tsuruta

Kevin Dale Butt

Steven Michael Wallace

Dale A Christiansen

Hirokazu Nakayama

Paul Merril Greco

David Harper

David Howard Flores Harper

Roger Javier Justo

Tsuyoshi Miyamura

Edwin Ralph Childers

Jason Liang

Icko E T Iben

Paul Merrill Greco

Richard L Bradshaw

Walter Haeberle

Richard Alex West

Evan Wheelwright

Chase Alan Steeves

An apparatus includes a top section, a middle section, and a bottom section of a spring actuator for a tape drive that form a C-shape of the spring actuator. The middle section includes three flexor columns, where a first writer module is bonded to a first flexor column from the three flexor columns, a reader module is bonded to a second flexor column from the three flexor columns, and a second writer module is bonded to a third flexor column from the three flexor columns.

Spring suspension with independent reader and writer following actuator

A method, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, includes writing, by a tape drive, data tracks to a data band of a magnetic tape having servo bands flanking the data band, the writing being performed using a magnetic head that is not designed for a format of the magnetic tape. An effective pitch of servo readers of the magnetic head used simultaneously during the writing matches a servo reader pitch specification of the format of the magnetic tape. An average effective pitch of write transducers of the magnetic head is greater than a data track pitch specification of the format of the magnetic tape.

Magnetic tape reuse across products

Provided are a controller, tape drive, and method for determining a lateral position at which to move a tape head. The tape head, comprising a first module having a first servo reader and a second module having a second servo reader, is rotated to rotate the second servo reader at skew angles with respect to the first servo reader. A determination is made of estimated lateral positions of the second reader at the skew angles. Expected lateral positions of the second servo reader at the skew angles are calculated from a calculated distance between the first and the second servo readers and the skew angles. Lateral error offsets, comprising differences of estimated lateral positions and expected lateral positions at the skew angles, are added to an error offset data structure used to adjust a target lateral position at which to position the tape head.

Determining lateral error offsets to adjust a lateral position at which to move a tape head with respect to a tape medium

Provided are a tape guide roller and tape drive having a guide roller having magnets and bushings to stabilize a roller barrel for a tape medium. The tape guide roller has a roller barrel extending around a vertical axis. The tape medium passes across the roller barrel to guide the tape medium on a tape path. A plurality of magnets positioned with respect to the vertical axis provide an axial force to stabilize the tape guide roller axially.

Guide roller having magnets and bushings to stabilize a roller barrel for a tape medium

In one general embodiment, a data storage product includes a magnetic recording tape having written thereon at least two servo tracks extending along a longitudinal axis of the tape. Each servo track has a timing-based servo (TBS) pattern comprising a series of servo frames arranged to enable lateral positioning of a magnetic head relative to the servo tracks as well as tape dimensional stability (TDS) compensation via head skew. Each frame comprises a sequence of pairs of leading and trailing servo stripes. Midpoints between the servo stripes in each pair, at all points having a same relative lateral height on the tape, are located along a virtual median line oriented at an angle β from perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tape, the angle β being greater than 1 degree.

Magnetic recording tape having servo pattern for tape dimensional stability compensation via head skew

A method, according to one embodiment, includes cycling a shorter length of a tape, that is less than an entire length of the tape, a plurality of times to acclimate the shorter length of the tape. An acclimation change amount of the shorter length of the tape is determined. The acclimation change amount is based on a baseline servo band difference (SBD) measured before the cycling and a post cycling SBD measured after the cycling. The method further includes adjusting SBD values from a beginning of the tape (BOT) to an end of the tape (EOT) based on the determined acclimation change amount. A system according to another embodiment includes a processor, and logic integrated with the processor, executable by the processor, or integrated with and executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to perform operations of the foregoing method.

Tape acclimation acceleration for environmental calibration

A method for characterizing a magnetic recording tape, according to one approach, includes measuring, using a magnetic head having servo readers of known pitch, a servo band difference at various locations along a length of a magnetic recording tape. The servo band difference measurements and/or derivatives thereof are stored in association with the magnetic recording tape. This procedure creates a characterization of the magnetic recording tape that is useful for assessing aging of the magnetic recording tape, as well as improving subsequent reading and/or writing operations.

Management of head and media dimensional stability

A method according to one embodiment includes measuring a baseline servo band difference (SBD) from a beginning of a tape (BOT) to an end of the tape (EOT), and storing values of the baseline SBD measurements in a memory. A shorter length of the tape that is less than an entire length of the tape is cycled a plurality of times to acclimate the shorter length of the tape. A post cycling SBD of the shorter length of the tape is determined and an acclimation change amount of the shorter length of the tape that is a difference between the baseline SBD of the shorter length and the post cycling SBD of the shorter length is determined. The method further includes adjusting the baseline SBD values based on the determined acclimation change amount.

In one embodiment, a method includes writing, using a magnetic head, a set of parallel shingled tracks onto a magnetic recording tape using specified drive parameters, changing one of the specified drive parameters, reading a set of selected data tracks on the magnetic recording tape using the changed drive parameter, changing a lateral head position while reading the set of selected data tracks using the changed drive parameter, comparing track error rates observed during reading at the different lateral head positions, selecting a reader offset value based on the comparing, and performing a further action using the selected reader offset value.

Calibration of writer offset using media dimensional stability

An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes a magnetic head having servo readers of known pitch, a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic recording tape over the magnetic head, and a controller electrically coupled to the magnetic head. The controller is configured to measure, using signals from the magnetic head, a servo band difference at various locations along a length of the magnetic recording tape. The controller is also configured to cause storage of servo band difference information about the servo band difference measurements in association with the magnetic recording tape.

An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes: a support plate, a stator, a rotor sub-assembly, and at least one isolation mount coupled between the support plate and the stator. The isolation mount is for reducing transfer of vibration from the stator to the support plate. Moreover, the stator is coplanar with the support plate. The rotor sub-assembly includes a magnet, and a hub rotatably fixed relative to the magnet. The rotor sub-assembly is also configured to rotate relative to the support plate and the stator. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.

Attenuating reaction forces caused by externally supported stators in brushless DC motors

An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes: a support plate, a stator, and a stator support arm. The stator support arm has a first end that is coupled to the support plate, and extends from the support plate to the stator. Moreover, the stator is coplanar with the support plate. The apparatus further includes at least one isolation mount, and a rotor sub-assembly. The isolation mount is coupled between a second end of the stator support arm and the stator for reducing transfer of vibration from the stator to the stator support arm. The rotor sub-assembly includes a magnet, and a hub rotatably fixed relative to the magnet. Furthermore, the rotor sub-assembly is configured to rotate relative to the support plate and the stator. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.

Attenuating reaction forces caused by internally supported stators in brushless DC motors

A tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: detecting a read error, and sending one or more instructions to perform a first re-read attempt on a portion of a magnetic tape corresponding to the read error. In response to determining that the first re-read attempt was unsuccessful, a range of tension settings is selected. A range of lateral offsets is also selected. Moreover, one or more instructions are sent to apply each unique combination of a tension setting from the range of tension settings and a lateral offset from the range of lateral offsets. For each of the unique combinations applied, one or more instructions are sent to perform a second phase re-read attempt on the portion of the magnetic tape corresponding to the read error. Furthermore, a determination is made as to whether the second phase re-read attempt was performed successfully for any of the unique combinations.

Behavioral model for dynamic tension compensation

A determination is made whether read/write is enabled within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that read/write is enabled, a determination is made whether a temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds a threshold value. In response to determining that the temperature within the tape drive storage unit exceeds the threshold value, a determination is made of a direction of travel of a tape media within the tape drive storage unit. In response to determining that the direction of travel is a forward direction, a first cooling device is powered on. The first cooling device lowers the temperature of a first guide roller and the tape media coming off a first tape storage reel prior to the tape media passing by a read/write head within the tape drive storage unit.

Tape drive bearing temperature control

An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a reel having a hub, and a damping layer coupled to the reel for translating motion of a motor to the reel. The damping layer is physically configured to dampen motor-induced motion of the reel along an axis of rotation of the reel. An apparatus according to another embodiment includes a reel having a hub, and a damping layer coupled to the reel for translating motion of a motor to the reel. The damping layer includes a laminate having a first metal layer and a viscoelastic layer extending along the first metal layer for dampening motor-induced motion of the reel along an axis of rotation of the reel.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Kevin Bruce Judd