Magnetic recording head having longitudinally spaced offset arrays
View Patent ↗An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a head having at least two modules, each of the modules having an array of transducers and at least one servo transducer. An axis of each array is defined between opposite ends thereof. The axes of the arrays are oriented about parallel to each other. The axes of the arrays are spaced from one another in an intended direction of tape travel thereacross. The array of a first of the modules is offset from the array of a second of the modules in a first direction parallel to the axis of the array of the second module. All of the transducers of the first module are positioned on a first side of an imaginary line oriented in the intended direction of tape travel, wherein all of the transducers of the second module are positioned on a second side of the imaginary line.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a head having at least two modules, each of the modules having an array of transducers and at least one servo transducer,
wherein an axis of each array is defined between opposite ends thereof,
wherein the axes of the arrays are oriented about parallel to each other,
wherein the axes of the arrays are spaced from one another in an intended direction of tape travel thereacross,
wherein the array of a first of the modules is offset from the array of a second of the modules in a first direction parallel to the axis of the array of the second module, and
wherein all of the transducers of the first module are positioned on a first side of an imaginary line oriented in the intended direction of tape travel, wherein all of the transducers of the second module are positioned on a second side of the imaginary line.
2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pitch of the transducers of the arrays as presented to a tape about matches the pitch of sub data bands specified in a data format the head is designed to comply with.
3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the transducers of each array have a same pitch along the axis of the respective array, wherein the pitch is the same in both arrays, wherein the pitch of the transducers of each array as presented to the tape is about the same when the axes of the arrays are oriented at a nominal angle relative to a line orthogonal to the intended direction of tape travel.
4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3 , wherein the nominal angle is between about 0.005 and about 0.035 degrees.
5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein a distance between the axes of the arrays in the intended direction of tape travel is at least about 0.25 mm.
6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , comprising a mechanism for orienting the modules to control an offset of the arrays of the transducers as presented to a tape; and a controller configured to control the mechanism for orienting the modules.
7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to control the mechanism for orienting the modules to increase a distance of the arrays from the imaginary line when the tape is in a relatively expanded state, wherein the controller is configured to control the mechanism for orienting the modules to decrease a distance of the arrays from the imaginary line when the tape is in a relatively contracted state.
8. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein each module has three servo readers.
9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 , comprising:
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the head; and
a controller electrically coupled to the head.
10. An apparatus, comprising:
a head having at least three modules, each of the modules having an array of transducers and at least one servo transducer,
wherein an axis of each array is defined between opposite ends thereof,
wherein the axes of the arrays are oriented about parallel to each other,
wherein the axes of the arrays are spaced from one another in an intended direction of tape travel thereacross,
wherein the array of a first of the modules is offset from the array of a second of the modules in a first direction parallel to the axis of the array of the second module,
wherein the array of the second of the modules is offset from the array of a third of the modules in a first direction parallel to the axis of the array of the third module,
wherein all of the transducers of the first module are positioned on a first side of an imaginary line oriented in the intended direction of tape travel, wherein all of the transducers of the second module are positioned on a second side of the imaginary line, and
wherein all of the transducers of the second module are positioned on a first side of a second imaginary line oriented in the intended direction of tape travel, wherein all of the transducers of the third module are positioned on a second side of the second imaginary line.
11. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the pitch of the transducers of the arrays as presented to a tape about matches the pitch of sub data bands specified in a data format the head is designed to comply with.
12. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein the transducers of each array have a same pitch along the axis of the associated array, wherein the pitch is the same in both arrays, wherein the pitch of the transducers in each array of transducers together as presented to the tape is about the same when the axes of the arrays are oriented at a nominal angle relative to a line orthogonal to the intended direction of tape travel.
13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the nominal angle is between about 0.005 and about 0.035 degrees.
14. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein a distance between the axes of the arrays in the intended direction of tape travel is at least about 0.25 mm.
15. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , comprising a mechanism for orienting the modules to control an offset of the arrays of the transducers as presented to a tape; and a controller configured to control the mechanism for orienting the modules based on a state of expansion of the tape.
16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to control the mechanism for orienting the first and second modules to increase a distance of the arrays of the first and second module from the imaginary line when the tape is in a relatively expanded state,
wherein the controller is configured to control the mechanism for orienting the second and third modules to increase a distance of the arrays of the second and third module from the second imaginary line when the tape is in a relatively expanded state,
wherein the controller is configured to control the mechanism for orienting the first and second modules to decrease a distance of the arrays of the first and second modules from the imaginary line when the tape is in a relatively contracted state, and
wherein the controller is configured to control the mechanism for orienting the second and third modules to decrease a distance of the arrays of the second and third modules from the second imaginary line when the tape is in a relatively contracted state.
17. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , wherein each module has three servo readers.
18. An apparatus as recited in claim 10 , comprising:
a drive mechanism for passing a magnetic medium over the head; and
a controller electrically coupled to the head.