IBM T400F manual Data Cartridge

In addition to using LTO Ultrium 2 Tape Cartridges with up to 200 GB capacity, the tape drive reads and writes to certified LTO Ultrium Tape Cartridges that have capacities of 100, 50, 30, and 10 GB. If you want to control the capacity of the cartridge (for example, if you want to limit the capacity to obtain a faster seek time) you can do so by issuing the SCSI command SET CAPACITY. For information about this command, refer to the IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium Tape Drive SCSI Reference.

To ensure that your tape drive conforms to IBM’s specifications for reliability, use only IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium Tape Cartridges. You may use other LTO-certified data cartridges, but they may not meet the standards of reliability that are established by IBM. The IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 200 GB Data Cartridge cannot be interchanged with the media used in other IBM non-LTO Ultrium tape products.

Data Cartridge

The IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 200 GB Data Cartridge contains 1/2-inch, dual-coat, metal-particle tape that has a native data capacity of 200 GB (400 GB at 2:1 compression). When processing the tape, the IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 2 Tape Drive uses a linear, serpentine recording format, and reads and writes data on 512 tracks, eight tracks at a time. The first set of eight tracks is written from near the beginning of the tape to near the end of the tape. The head then repositions to the next set of eight tracks for the return pass. This process continues until all tracks are written and the tape is full, or until all data is written.

The IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 200 GB Data Cartridge includes a Linear

Tape-Open Cartridge Memory (LTO-CM) chip ( in Figure 11 on page 47), that contains information about the cartridge and the tape (such as the name of the manufacturer that created the tape), as well as statistical information about the cartridge’s use. Whenever you unload a tape cartridge, the tape drive writes any pertinent information to the cartridge memory. The storage capacity of the LTO-CM is 4096 bytes.

The cartridge door	protects the tape from contamination when the cartridge is
out of the drive. Behind the door, the tape is attached to a leader pin		. When

you insert the cartridge into the drive, a threading mechanism pulls the pin (and tape) out of the cartridge, across the drive head, and onto a non-removable takeup reel. The head can then read or write data from or to the tape.

The write-protect switch		prevents data from being written to the tape cartridge.
The label area	provides a location for you to place a label. Affix only a bar code

label. When affixing a label, place it only in the recessed label area. A label that extends outside of the recessed area can cause loading problems in the drive. The

insertion guide is a large, notched area that prevents you from inserting the cartridge incorrectly.

You can order tape cartridges with the bar code labels included, or you can order custom labels. To obtain tape cartridges and bar code labels, see “Ordering Media Supplies” on page 63.

The IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 200 GB Data Cartridge has a nominal cartridge life of 5000 load and unload cycles. The Generation 2 cartridge is purple; the Generation 1 cartridge is black.

48IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 2 Tape Drive