Tape drive with automatic adaptation for different size tape cassettes

1. A tape drive configured to automatically adapt to drive different size tape cassettes, comprising: a sensor that senses size of a tape cassette inserted into the tape drive; and moveable spindles that are responsive to the sensor to move to different respective positions to drive different size tape cassettes;

wherein the tape drive has only a single tape guide path along which tape from each of the different size tape cassettes is guided;

wherein the tape drive positions each of the different size tape cassettes such that a tape withdrawal face of each of the different size tape cassettes is aligned on a same line; and,

wherein the moveable spindles are direct drive spindles coupled to motors, the motors being moved to the different respective positions responsive to the sensor; said tape drive further comprising a door arrangement configured with multiple doors, each door configured to accommodate a different size tape cassette wherein the multiple doors include at least a first, larger door and a second, smaller door within the first door.

2. The tape drive of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a mechanical sensor that mechanically senses the size of a tape cassette.

3. The tape drive of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a non-contact sensor that senses the size of a tape cassette in a non-contact manner.

4. A method of automatically adapting a tape drive to operate with different tape cassette types having respectively different form factors, wherein said tape drive comprises a door arrangement configured with multiple doors, each door configured to accommodate a different size tape cassette wherein the multiple doors include at least a first, larger door and a second, smaller door within the first door, the method comprising the steps: loading a tape cassette of a first or second tape cassette type into the tape drive; determining the tape cassette type of the loaded tape cassette; and moving drive spindles to position the drive spindles according to the determined tape cassette type;

further comprising lowering the loaded tape cassette onto the drive spindles after moving the drive spindles; and,

wherein the drive spindles are direct drive spindles coupled to motors, the step of moving the drive spindles including moving the motors.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of determining the tape cassette type includes sensing the form factor of the tape cassette type.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sensing is a non-contact sensing.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the sensing is a mechanical sensing by physical interaction with the tape cassette.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein each tape cassette type is lowered to a position such that a tape withdrawal face of each of the different tape cassette types is aligned on a same line.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising pulling tape out of the tape cassette and guiding the tape on a guide path external to the tape cassette, after the lowering of the loaded tape cassette onto the drive spindles.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the guide path is identical for each of the different tape cassette types.