Patent ID: 6305629
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
An apparatus for controlling the motion of a magnetic tape in a tape drive, the apparatus including:a first reel assembly for rotating in a first direction to supply a magnetic tape and for rotating in a second direction to take up the magnetic tape;a second reel assembly for rotating in the first direction to take up magnetic tape supplied by the first reel assembly and for rotating in the second direction to supply magnetic tape to the first reel assembly;a first fine-line tachometer coupled to the first reel assembly;a second fine-line tachometer coupled to the second reel assembly;a tape tension sensing device producing a directly coupled output for sensing the tension in the tape between the first reel assembly and the second reel assembly;a control mechanism which is continually adaptive to dynamic changes as the tape is moved from the first reel assembly to the second assembly and continually adaptive to dynamic changes as the tape is moved from the second reel assembly to the first reel assembly;said control mechanism including motion control logic means responsive to said first and second fine-line tachometers and the directly coupled output from said tape tension sensing device for calculating the appropriate rotation for each reel to drive the tape between the reels with a predetermined profile with negligible tape tension disturbances.