Vibration response due to lateral tape motion and impulse force in a linear tape drive

Next-generation, high track-density linear tape drives will require improved tape guiding and dimensional stability in order to achieve better performance and higher storage capacities. Drive vibrations, tape degradation, debris formation, and tape guiding all contribute to unwanted lateral tape motion, which can lead to write errors on the tape. Collisions between the guide and tape edge can be simulated as single-impact events by dropping a mass onto a lever situated below the bottom tape edge. The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency content of measured lateral tape motion under various operating conditions. The effect of impact location and impulse energy is investigated in a static test where the tape drive is not in operation (tape is stationary). Next, a dynamic test is performed to study the effects of tape speed, tape tension, impact energy, and tape thickness. Finally a durability wear test is conducted to determine the effects of cycling up to 5000 cycles. Lateral tape motion is recorded and the power spectrum density of the signal is determined for each test. Additionally, optical microscopy is employed to quantify the quality of the tape edge after wear testing to investigate any correlation between tape wear and frequency analysis.