Old tape densities

From: Christian Fandt <cfandt_at_netsync.net>
Date: Wed Jan 27 16:45:23 1999

Upon the date 05:16 PM 1/27/99 -0500, Bill Pechter said something like:
>Jim Strickland <jim_at_calico.litterbox.com> said:
>
>> This tape wasn't new when I used it - it was a leftover vms patch tape from
>> the 4.whatever world. Now it was recorded at pretty low density - 1200bpi,
>> if memory serves) but I would have expected it to have many more problems.
>
>1200bpi would be a bit wierd.
>
>Actually, the standard 7 and 9 track tape densities were something like:
>
>Tape Density Encoding method DEC Tape Drive
>
>200BPI (NRZ?)
>556BPI (NRZI?) TU10?
>
>800BPI NRZI (Non-Return to Zero Indescrete) TU10/16/TE10/16
> TU45/77/TS03?
> TS04?
>
>1600BPI PE (Phase Encoded) TE16/TU45/TU77/TU78
> TA78 TS11
>3200BPI
>6250BPI GCR (Group Coded Recording) TU78/TA78
>
>I'm not sure if the TU10 went to 200BPI or 556BPI... Those were old old
>densities from early IBM stuff. I am also unsure of the TS03/04's.

Bill and others: I have a TS03 and its manual here. They indeed are 800
BPI NRZI. I can quote more info out of the manual if you need it to update
your file of info you had for the above list.

I have no other info on the other tape systems in my library at this time.

>
>There were other machines like the Cipher 880's that did 3200BPI
>and 1600. DEC used one as the TSV05.
>
>Bill

Regards, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt_at_netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
        URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
Received on Wed Jan 27 1999 - 16:45:23 GMT

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