Effects of grooved roller design on lateral tape motion in data tape drives

摘要

In magnetic tape recording, control of lateral tape motion (LTM) is a critical factor affecting the reliability of read/write operations. Rollers play a significant role to this end. In particular, grooved rollers are capable of reducing the air lubrication effect that develops in the tape-roller interface. By using grooved rollers, reliable operation can be carried out for an extended range of system parameters such as tape thickness, tension and velocity [1-6].