From: Gideon Wheeler (gsw@sanger.ac.uk)
Date: Fri Dec 13 2002 - 05:09:03 EST
Hello,
Just some notes on what I have experienced using SDLT 110/220 tape
drives and media . If you use media other than SDLT ie DLT4, DLT3 etc in
the drive then you will need to clean the drive. Using purely SDLT media
then the drive may occasionally require cleaning.
The SDLT has three heads, one for pre SDLT media and a laser based non
contact separate read write heads for SDLT media. what does this third
head do ? well to fit more data on the tape they had to push the
alignment field to the back of the tape surface.
I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of the A.F. is but if it gets
corrupted then that tape (unless its completely degaussed) is useless.
To test that the A.F. is okay slap the tape in another SDLT and wait. It
should take a3 minutes top to load the header and read the alignment
field anything over 8 minutes and that tape is corrupted. (Listen for
constant tape movements backwards and forwards as it tries to locate the
A.F.)
Earlier firmware releases use to occasionally write a duff AF. Ohh humm
Make sure you have the latest and greatest firmware release
Otherwise it may be duff media.....
R.
Gideon
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