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Data Cartridge
The IBM LTO Ultrium Data Cartridge contains 1/2-inch, metal-particle tape that has
a native data capacity of 100 GB. When processing the tape, the Ultrium Internal
Tape Drive uses a linear, serpentine recording format, and reads and writes data on
384 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 LTO Ultrium Data Cartridge includes a Linear Tape-Open Cartridge
Memory (LTO-CM) chip, which 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 cartridge door (1 in Figure 10 on page 41) protects the tape from
contamination when the cartridge is out of the drive. Behind the door, the tape is
attached to a leader pin 2. 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 3 prevents data from being written to the tape cartridge.
The label area 4 provides a location for you to place a 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 5 is a
large, notched area that prevents you from inserting the cartridge incorrectly.
The IBM LTO Ultrium Data Cartridge has a nominal cartridge life of 5000 load and
unload cycles.
Cleaning Cartridge
The drive itself determines when a head needs to be cleaned. It alerts you by
displaying C on the single-character display. To clean the head, insert the IBM LTO
Ultrium Cleaning Cartridge into the tape load compartment (see Figure 9 on
page 26). The tape drive performs the cleaning automatically. When the cleaning is
finished, the drive ejects the cartridge.
To remove a cleaning cartridge, see “Unload Button” on page 25. The IBM LTO
Ultrium Cleaning Cartridge is valid for 50 uses. The cartridge’s LTO-CM chip tracks
the number of times that the cartridge is used.
42 IBM Ultrium Internal Tape Drive