Patent ID: 6278577
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A multi-element read-write magnetic recording head for recording information on a magnetic tape and for reading recorded information therefrom, said recording head comprising an equal number of associated read elements and write elements to form a two-gap recording head comprising pairs of read and write elements, said two-gap recording head further comprising a first module and a second module, said first and second modules each comprising a plurality of read and write head elements, with a first group of read and write heads configured to perform in a forward direction of movement of said magnetic tape and with a second group of read and write heads configured to perform in a reverse direction of movement of said magnetic tape, one of said modules containing an equal number of forward read heads and reverse write heads and the other of said modules containing an equal number of reverse read heads and forward write heads, to provide decoupling of reading and writing functions and to enable servoing by a given read element of a write element associated therewith, wherein leads to said elements in a given module are asymmetrically offset from leads to said write elements in the same module, while maintaining orthogonality between read and write element leads near said read and write elements.