Patent ID: 6349010
Filing Date: 2002-02-19
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An apparatus for simultaneously writing a plurality of data signals in parallel data tracks in a longitudinal direction on a recording medium, the apparatus comprising:a head having a plurality of write units which are positioned adjacent to each other in a transversal direction which is transverse to said longitudinal direction, which write units are directly adjacent each other in the transversal direction, transport means for moving the head and the recording medium relative to each other in the longitudinal direction, and switching means to switch the apparatus from a normal mode wherein each data signal is coupled to a single respective write unit to write data tracks with a first track density, each data track being written by a single write unit, to a combination mode wherein each data signal is coupled to a respective group of parallel, adjacent write units to write data tracks with a second track density which is a portion of the first track density, each data track being written by such a group of write units.