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From: lamaster@pioneer.arpa (Hugh LaMaster)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: Re: Cartridge Tape Drives
Message-ID: <2412@ames.arpa>
Date: Tue, 28-Jul-87 13:31:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: ames.2412
Posted: Tue Jul 28 13:31:31 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jul-87 07:24:55 EDT
Sender: usenet@ames.arpa
Reply-To: lamaster@ames.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster)
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Lines: 36
Keywords: cartridge tape drives

This is an information request regarding those ~60 MB cartridge tape drives
often found on workstations.

There seem to be several incompatible cartridge styles out there, and some
drives seem to have a poor reputation for either reliability or convenience.
For example, it would seem undesirable that a tape drive for use with a
workstation be damaged by either putting the wrong type of cartridge in or
putting a cartridge in upside down or backwards.  I would be interested in
hearing good or bad experiences with either a particular manufacturer's drive
or a particular type/format.

Is there an (emerging) standard for these cartridges and for the tape format
(ANSI, IEEE, etc.)?

If you have specifics on a particular manufacturer, do you know what buses and
systems are supported (for Un*x)? (e.g. VMEbus for Sun, Apollo, Integrated
Solutions, Multibus for Masscomp, SGI, Q-Bus for DEC MicroVAX under Ultrix,
etc. etc.).

Please post, or send to me and I will summarize if there are several responses.






  Hugh LaMaster, m/s 233-9,  UUCP {seismo,topaz,lll-crg,ucbvax}!
  NASA Ames Research Center                ames!pioneer!lamaster
  Moffett Field, CA 94035    ARPA lamaster@ames-pioneer.arpa
  Phone:  (415)694-6117      ARPA lamaster@pioneer.arc.nasa.gov


                 "IBM will have it soon"


(Disclaimer: "All opinions solely the author's responsibility")