A magnetic tape reading apparatus including: a reading head which includes a reading unit disposed at a position corresponding to a single track included in a magnetic tape; a controller which controls the reading unit to read data plural times from a specific range of the single track in a running direction of the magnetic tape by a linear scan method; and a synthesis unit which synthesizes a plurality of reproducing signal sequences obtained by reading data plural times from the specific range by the reading unit.

A method, computer system, and computer program product for determining head wear of magnetic tape head elements of tape drives during operation. The method may include receiving a first calibration parameter for a first tape head element at a first time. Calibration parameter for the first tape head element may be compared with a reference parameter. Determination may be made whether to remove the first tape head element from service or generate a warning, based on a result of the comparison. Method may include generating the first calibration parameter by calculating midpoint bias voltage for the first tape head element as a function of bias current and head resistance. The first calibration parameter for the first tape head element may be bias current parameter or bias resistance parameter. The first calibration parameter for the first tape head element may be less than, equal to, or greater than the reference parameter.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk, a first magnetic head and a second magnetic head that are moved independently of each other, a first controller chip, a second controller chip, and a third memory. The first controller chip includes a first processor and a first memory, and controls the first magnetic head. The second controller chip includes a second processor and a second memory, and controls the second magnetic head. Management information is stored in the third memory. The first controller chip is connected to the third memory. The second controller chip is connected to the third memory via the first controller chip. The second controller chip saves the management information into the second memory.

A data storage device can employ a microactuator system that efficiently translates longitudinal microactuator strain into movement in-plane with a mid-plane of a gimbal tongue. A gimbal tongue may be suspended from a load beam with a transducing head mounted to the gimbal tongue and the transducing head separated from a magnetic recording medium by an air bearing. A microactuator attached to the gimbal tongue can be positioned so that a mid-plane of the microactuator is congruent with a mid-plane of the gimbal tongue.

A data storage device is disclosed comprising a first head actuated over a first disk surface, and a second head actuated over a second disk surface. During a first revolution of the disk surfaces, a first set of servo sectors are written to the first disk surface and a second set of servo sectors are written to the second disk surface, wherein the first set of servo sectors are circumferentially offset from the second set of servo sectors. During a second revolution of the disk surfaces, at least one of the servo sectors in the first set is read from the first disk surface and at least one of the servo sectors in the second set is read from the second disk surface to control a position of the first head over the first disk surface.

A recording surface of a magnetic disk is divided into first and second zones. A first head of a first actuator arm assembly reads from and/or writes to the first zone exclusively. A second head of a second actuator arm assembly reads from and/or writes to the second zone exclusively. The first and second head are capable of simultaneously reading from and writing to the recording surface.

A recording surface of a magnetic disk is divided into first and second zones. A first head of a first actuator arm assembly reads from and/or writes to the first zone exclusively. A second head of a second actuator arm assembly reads from and/or writes to the second zone exclusively. The first and second head are capable of simultaneously reading from and writing to the recording surface.

A data storage device is disclosed comprising an elevator actuator configured to actuate a head along an axial dimension, and a position sensor configured to generate a sinusoidal sensor signal representing a position of the head along the axial dimension, wherein the position sensor comprises a sensor element and an encoder strip comprising a pattern having at least one region that causes a disturbance in the sinusoidal sensor signal. The elevator actuator is controlled to move the head in a first direction along the axial dimension to detect the disturbance in the sinusoidal sensor signal, and when the disturbance in the sinusoidal signal is detected, the elevator actuator is controlled to move the head in a second direction along the axial dimension opposite the first direction in order to measure a zero crossing of the sinusoidal sensor signal.

A magnetic disk device includes a control circuit, and a disk unit including a plurality of magnetic disks, a plurality of magnetic heads configured to read or write data from or to the magnetic disks, a first actuator configured to move the magnetic heads, a plurality of second actuators each configured to move the corresponding magnetic head, and a switch circuit configured to connect the control circuit and one of the second actuators. The control circuit is configured to transmit to the disk unit an instruction in which one of the magnetic heads is specified, control one of the second actuators corresponding to the specified magnetic head to move the magnetic head via the switch circuit, and based on a signal from the one of the second actuators, determine whether an error occurs in the one of the second actuators.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a disk, a head that writes data to the disk and reads data from the disk, an actuator including a voice coil motor that moves the head over the disk, and a controller that increases a second current value applied to the voice coil motor during deceleration of the head in a seek according to a first current value that is maximum value capable of being applied to the voice coil motor during acceleration of the head in the seek on the disk.