Abstract
The demand for large scale and efficient data storage systems has increased greatly over the past decade. The data storage industry has responded by increasing the capacity and cost-effectiveness of their systems. Magnetic data tape storage has similarly improved, with commercially available cartridges able to hold over 1.3 TB of compressed data on a single 3.5 in. form factor cartridge. These advancements are the results of a combination of several factors, which include both thinner tapes to improve volumetric density, and taking advantage of the improved magnetic coercivity of advanced magnetic coatings. As the storage capacity of magnetic tape systems continues to increase so does the need for faster read and write access. One possible way to achieve this is to translate the magnetic media past the read/write head at a higher velocity. This increased speed can have unwanted effects on the operation of the tape drive and media. This paper details a study of the effects that high-speed operation at different tensions can have on the performance of the system. The coefficient of friction between the tape and head was monitored to gauge durability and wear, and lateral tape motion (LTM) was monitored using both magnetic and edge probe methods to measure undesirable tape motion. Results for five different types of tape operating at five different tension/speed combinations are discussed in order to better determine the effects that tape characteristics and operating parameters have in high speed situations.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support was provided in part by the membership of the Nanotriblogy Laboratory for Information Storage and MEMS/NEMS. Tape drives and single-flanged porous air bearing guides were provided by Steve Gavit of Segway Systems, LLC (Littleton, CO). The authors thank Richard Jewett and Todd Ethen of Imation Corporation for providing Ultrium MP tape, Thin MP tape, and Seagate LTO heads, and Dr. Hideki Yoshida of Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI) Company, Kadoma, Japan, and Dr. S. Onodera of Sony Sendai Research Center, Japan, for providing AME tapes. Special thanks to Todd Ethen of Imation Corporation for helpful discussion throughout, and to Christine Malott for assistance with tape edge profile images.
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Petrek, D.J., Bhushan, B. Study of durability and lateral tape motion of magnetic tape data storage media under high-speed operating conditions using magnetic and edge probe methods. Microsyst Technol 14, 841–853 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-007-0540-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-007-0540-9