Patent ID: 6288864
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A method of calibrating a helical scan magnetic tape drive, the method comprising:(1) loading a calibration tape into a tape path of the helical scan drive, the calibration tape having a calibration stripe recorded thereon;(2) obtaining a series of calibration signal waveforms from the calibration stripe as a head traverses differing paths along the calibration stripe, the differing paths occurring at differing linear positions of the calibration tape relative to the head;(3) for each calibration signal waveform in the series, obtaining a voltage measurement at a predetermined position within each waveform;(4) determining a maximum one of the voltage measurements obtained in step (3); and,(5) using a selected one of the voltage measurements to generate a measured overlap scaling factor indicative of an overlap of the read head relative to the calibration stripe.