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Introduction Chapter 1
STT8000A Product Manual Page 5
Instead, the write-read heads are logically or mechanically switched to a different
position on the tape and another track is written or read in the reverse direction.
That is, the drive first records track 1 in one direction and when the end of the tape
is reached, the head is moved and the direction of tape motion is reversed to record
track 2. This serpentine process continues until the entire tape is recorded. The
individual tracks are sequential to minimize the amount of head motion as the heads
change position for each track.
Flash EEPROM
The STT8000A incorporates leading-edge technology in the flash EEPROM, which
is useful should the drive's firmware need to be upgraded at some point. With the
permanently installed, electrically upgradeable, flash EEPROM memory, revised
firmware for the drive can be loaded via any one of two methods:
• Seagate OEM firmware cartridge (See chapter 4)
• Host IDE bus
This feature enables qualified OEMs needing to revise the drive firmware to do so
rapidly and at a reduced cost. Flash EEPROM should also prolong the life cycle of a
drive because many new techniques—such as increasing the capacity of the drive
through support for longer tapes—may require only a firmware upgrade.
Software
The STT8000A is a cost-effective means of backing up fixed disks. The drive is
compatible with DOS
TM
version 5.0 or later, Microsoft Windows
TM
3.1 or later,
Microsoft Windows 95, or Windows NT and will operate with many of the popular
backup software applications such as Seagate 's Backup for DOS and Windows,
Windows 95, NetWare, or Windows NT.
References
The following standards documents describe some of the technology incorporated in
the drives referenced in this manual.
•
QIC-170
—Preformatted magnetic minicartridge
•
QIC-157
—ATAPI command set for streaming tape
•
QIC-3095-MC
—Serial recorded magnetic tape minicartridge
•
QIC-3080-MC
—Serial recorded magnetic tape minicartridge
For more information about a particular QIC standard, contact Quarter-Inch
Cartridge Standards, Inc., c/o Freeman Associates, 311 East Carrillo Street, Santa
Barbara, California 93101.