Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!pacbell!ames!xanth!mcnc!ece-csc!ncrcae!ncrlnk!ncrwic!encad!entec!jlohmeye
From: jlohmeye@entec.Wichita.NCR.COM (John Lohmeyer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: QIC ANSI standards (was Re: QIC-02 vs. QIC-36)
Message-ID: <312@entec.Wichita.NCR.COM>
Date: 8 Jan 89 04:00:46 GMT
References: <174@wa3wbu.UUCP> <833@ritcsh.UUCP>
Reply-To: jlohmeye@entec.UUCP (John Lohmeyer)
Organization: NCR Corporation, Wichita, Kansas
Lines: 31

In article <833@ritcsh.UUCP> sic@ritcsh.UUCP (Eric A. Neulight) writes:
  ... stuff deleted ...
>                               It follows the ANSI standards:
>    QIC-36   QIC-02   QIC-24  and one other I cant remember.
  ... stuff deleted ...
>                                                     , but
>all of these interfaces are ANSI standards, and are freely available
>to the public as such.  I tracked down the bureau that distributes
>all the QIC info and had them send me all the descriptions and other
>pertinents.  I am not near my desk right now so I can't supply the
>phone number, but call ANSI in New York City and find out the number
>of the place in California that distributes the QIC proposals.
>
The QIC "standards" are NOT ANSI standards. There is a considerable
difference in the process used to create ANSI standards from the process
used to create QIC standards. (ANSI standards must follow a process that
guarantees there is a consensus on the standard and that all meaningful
points of view have been addressed. QIC standards are developed by a group
of manufacturers who pay significant sums of money to participate.)

ANSI does know the QIC phone number, because they get many mis-directed
phone calls. Perhaps I can save you a little time: The QIC standards were
developed by an organization known as Freeman Associates (Ray Freeman) and I
believe it is located in Santa Barbara, CA.

BTW, there is an ANSI standard based on QIC-02 that was recently published.
I believe it is called something like "Streaming Cartridge Tape Devices" and
it should be an X3 standard with a number greater than X3.140.

John Lohmeyer
jlohmeyer@entec.Wichita.NCR.COM