Tape drive sensor system
View Patent ↗A data drive for detecting loading/unloading positions and media type is provided. The drive includes: a drive base; a receiver for receiving a storage media device, the receiver being movably coupled to the drive base and translatable from an unloaded position to a loaded position; a media flag, for detecting a media type of the storage media device, movably coupled to the receiver and translatable from a first position to a second position when the storage media device is inserted into the receiver; a media flag sensor fixedly coupled to the drive base for detecting movement of the media flag; a receiver flag, for detecting position of the storage media device, fixedly coupled to the receiver; and a receiver flag sensor fixedly coupled to the drive base for detecting movement of the receiver flag.
1. A data drive, comprising:
a drive base;
a receiver for receiving a storage media device, the receiver being movably coupled to the drive base and translatable from an unloaded position to a loaded position;
a media flag movably coupled to the receiver and translatable from a first position to a second position, such that, at any instant, all points of the media flag move at the same velocity and direction of motion as every other point of the media flag, in response to inserting the storage media device into the receiver, wherein the media flag comprises an insertion depth measure for identifying a media type;
a media flag sensor fixedly coupled to the drive base for detecting movement of the media flag;
a receiver flag fixedly coupled to the receiver, wherein the receiver flag comprises a distance measure for determining if the storage media device is in the loaded position; and
a receiver flag sensor fixedly coupled to the drive base for detecting movement of the receiver flag.
2. The data drive of claim 1 , further comprising:
a read head for reading data from a tape contained in the storage media device.
3. The data drive of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver receives a storage media device comprising a tape cartridge.
4. The data drive of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lock release member coupled to the receiver and positioned to release a reel lock of a compatible storage media device and to prevent full insertion of an incompatible storage media device.
5. The data drive of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive controller coupled to the media flag sensor and the receiver flag sensor for receiving sensor signals from the media flag sensor and the receiver flag sensor.
6. The data drive of claim 5 , wherein:
the drive controller determines a storage media device type based on detection of the media flag and receiver flag.
7. The data drive of claim 6 , wherein:
the drive controller determines a storage media device type based on detection of the media flag and receiver flag by identifying the inserted storage media device as a first type of storage media device if the distance measure is detected before the insertion depth measure is detected and identifying the inserted storage media device as a second type of storage media device if the distance measure is detected after the insertion depth measure is detected.
8. The data drive of claim 6 , wherein:
the drive controller determines a storage media device type based on detection of the media flag and receiver flag by determining a distance between the insertion depth measure and the distance measure and identifying storage media device type corresponding to the distance between the insertion depth measure and the distance measure.
9. The data drive of claim 6 , wherein:
the drive controller determines a storage media device type based on detection of the media flag and receiver flag by detecting the insertion depth measure of the media flag using the media flag sensor and as the receiver travels from the unloaded position to the loaded position monitoring the distance of travel of the receiver between the detection of the insertion depth measure and a detection of the distance measure on the receiver flag by the receiver flag sensor.