Data Storage Systems Center

Currently, the linear track density of tape is over 1700 tracks per inch, which means that each track is less than 15 um. The aerial density of tape libraries has recently been increasing at a rate of 27% per year. High precision simulations of lateral tape motion are needed in order to develop tape paths with minimal lateral tape motion for both tape drives and servo encoding machines.

We have developed three pieces of software to aid tape drive developers:

• Layout: Solid model of tape path geometry. Post-processor to animate time-dependent tape motion.

• TapePath: Mechanics of tape bending through path, lateral deflection, guiding forces, tension gradients.

• LTMSim: High frequency, time dependent, nonlinear, LTM and servo simulation.