Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!ogicse!cvedc!mcspdx!adphdw20!dtb
From: dtb@adpplz.UUCP (Tom Beach)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi
Subject: Re: What's the most common SCSI Tape format?
Summary: 6250 tapes OK!
Message-ID: <626@adphdw20.UUCP>
Date: 26 Mar 91 20:49:51 GMT
References: <21411@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Organization: ADP Dealer Services R&D, Portland, OR
Lines: 28

In article <21411@shlump.nac.dec.com>, norcott@databs.enet.dec.com (Bill Norcott) writes:
 
> If you want to exchange tapes with Sun or other workstations, get the Archive
> 2150S this is a 150 MB unit (I believe it can also write 250MB with extended
> length tapes, can anyone confirm this?).  In any case, the 150MB is pretty

YES! That's correct. There was speculation that the longer tapes might
generate new and different head wear patterns ang generate data recovery
errors but that's pretty much considered a non-issue any more.

> much the data interchange "standard" for SCSI, and the 2150S also handles the
> lower capacity formats.  I believe the Archive 2150S is the actual drive used
> in Suns.

2150 will READ the lower capacity formats. It WON'T WRITE the lower capacity
tapes. That's pretty standard for mass storage media. Higher capacity
formats will normally read lower capacity formats but media written on
high capacity drives is rarely readable on lower capacity drives even when
the format is fully supported as in 5 1/4" diskettes.

Tom

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|  Tom Beach : Sr Project Engineer : Mass Storage Technology             |
|  phone : (503) 294-1541                                                |
|  email : uunet : dtb@adpplz.uucp                                       |
|  ADP Dealer Services, ADP Plaza, 2525 S.W. 1st Ave, Portland OR, 97201 |
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