International Business Machines Corporation

Luzius Kronig

Mark Alfred Lantz

Simeon Furrer

Hugo Eric Rothuizen

Beat Eugen Weiss

Provided are a computer program product, device, system, and method for compensating for a nonlinear deformation field of a tape of a tape storage system. In one embodiment, a head beam of a tape head module of a tape drive employing active skew-based TDS compensation, is segmented into linear segments which are pivotally coupled to each other. Each linear beam segment carries a portion of the transducer array of the tape head module to form a tape head module segment. The pivot angle between a pair of pivotally coupled head module segments of the tape head may be controlled by a controllable pivot actuator to provide an independently adjustable skew angle for each module segment with respect to the direction of travel of tape. As a result, it is believed that registration between the transducers of each module segment and data tracks of the tape may be improved.

Segmented tape head

Provided are a tape head controller, tape drive, and method for adjusting a skew angle and lateral position of a tape head to reduce track placement errors. A tape head is rotated at a nominal skew with respect to a tape medium to position servo readers in servo patterns. Data writers are located in a first plane of the tape head and the servo readers are located in a second plane in the tape head. The first and the second planes are separated by a distance. Repeatedly determining a skew angle comprising the nominal skew adjusted by a delta angle, at which to rotate the tape head to position the servo readers in the servo patterns. Repeatedly determining a lateral position error based on the distance and the delta angle. Repeatedly adjusting a lateral position of the tape head using the lateral position error to position the data writers in target data track locations at which to write data.

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Zürich, Switzerland

Luzius Kronig