Patent ID: 7362537

Claim:
A method of operating a tape drive for moving a magnetic tape along a tape head at one of a plurality of tape velocities, the method comprising: initially moving the magnetic tape along the tape head at a base tape velocity, producing first tape head position signals at a first sample frequency that is proportional to the base tape velocity and controlling a position of the tape head relative to the magnetic tape based on a processing of the first tape head position signals that are synchronous with the first sample frequency; and subsequently moving the magnetic tape along the tape head at a second tape velocity that is a multiple of the base tape velocity, producing second tape head position signals at a second sample frequency having a timing relationship with the first sample frequency that is proportional to the first sample frequency multiplied by the multiple and controlling the position of the tape head relative to the magnetic tape based on a selective processing and discarding of the second tape head position signals as a function of the timing relationship between the first sample frequency and the second sample frequency.