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Seagate STT8000A manual

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Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STT8000A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ATAPI Minicartridge Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Produ[...]

  • Page 2

    © 1998 Seagate Technology, Inc. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from Seagate Technology, Inc. Publication Number 10002475-004, April 1998 Seagate, Seagate Technology, the Seagate logo and Sidewinder are trademarks or registered trademarks of Seagate Technology, Inc. Other pro[...]

  • Page 3

    FCC Notice This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used properly—that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions—may cause interference to radio communications or radio and television reception. It has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing devic[...]

  • Page 4

    Important Information About This Manual All information contained in or disclosed by this document is considered proprietary by Seagate Technology. By accepting this material, the recipient agrees that this material and the information contained therein are held in confidence and in trust and will not be used, reproduced in whole or in part, nor it[...]

  • Page 5

    Table of Contents STT8000A Product Manual Page v Table of Contents Introduction 1 Drive overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Features ................................................................................................................. 3 Typical system config[...]

  • Page 6

    Table of Contents Page vi STT8000A Product Manual Loading and unloading cartridges ................................................................... 24 Setting the write–protect switch ...................................................................... 25 Loading revised firmware via Seagate firmware cartridge ...............................[...]

  • Page 7

    Table of Contents STT8000A Product Manual Page vii Mode Parameter Header ................................................................................ 49 Mode Block Descriptor .................................................................................... 49 Mode Medium Partition Page ........................................................[...]

  • Page 8

    Table of Contents Page viii STT8000A Product Manual Glossary 73 Acronyms and measurements 77 Acronyms and abbreviations ................................................................................. 77 Units of measurement ........................................................................................... 79[...]

  • Page 9

    Introduction Chapter 1 STT8000A Product Manual Page 1 Introduction Drive overview The Seagate STT8000A ATAPI minicartridge drive extends the Seagate family of one-inch high, DC2000 drives that feature high performance, high reliability, and quiet operation. The drive transfers data at up to 36 megabytes per minute (Mbytes/min) without compression. [...]

  • Page 10

    Chapter 1 Introduction Page 2 STT8000A Product Manual The STT8000A conforms to the QIC-3095 development standard adopted by Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards Inc. (QIC). The drive records in a serpentine fashion utilizing a 1,7 RLL (Run Length Limited) data encoding method, and provides for 72 data tracks and one (1) directory track on Travan [...]

  • Page 11

    Introduction Chapter 1 STT8000A Product Manual Page 3 Figure 1-2 Internal STT8000A with mounting brackets Features The STT8000A embodies Seagate's commitment to engineer reliable and durable tape drive products. Key features of the drive are as follows: • Two Internal form factors for installation in 5.25-inch half-high or 3.5-inch by one-in[...]

  • Page 12

    Chapter 1 Introduction Page 4 STT8000A Product Manual Typical system configurations The Enhanced IDE standard supports up to four ATAPI peripherals: two devices on the primary port and two devices on the secondary port. Of the two devices, one must be slave to the other, which is the master. Figure 1-3 shows sample configurations for two ATAPI syst[...]

  • Page 13

    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 dir[...]

  • Page 14

    Chapter 1 Introduction Page 6 STT8000A Product Manual About this manual The remaining chapters and the appendices in this manual are briefly described in the following table. A glossary of terms is also included. Chapter Title Description 2 Specifications Contains physical, performance, environmental, reliability, power, and minicartridge specifica[...]

  • Page 15

    Specifications Chapter 2 STT8000A Product Manual Page 7 Specifications Overview The STT8000A provides exceptional reliability in storing large amounts of computer data. This chapter includes the following specifications and requirements: • Physical specifications • Power requirements • Drive performance specifications • Environmental requir[...]

  • Page 16

    Chapter 2 Specifications Page 8 STT8000A Product Manual Figure 2-1 STT8000A (3.5-Inch mount) general dimensions 4.00 in (101.6 mm) 6.19 in (157.2 mm) 0.157 in (4 mm) 4.00 in (101.6 mm) 1.00 in (25.4 mm) Figure 2-2 STT8000A (5.25-Inch mount) general dimensions 1.685" (42.8mm) 5.87" (149.0mm) 0.20" (5.0mm) 0.86" (21.8mm) 5.76"[...]

  • Page 17

    Specifications Chapter 2 STT8000A Product Manual Page 9 Power specifications The following table lists the power specifications for the STT8000A. (Power specifications are measured at the tape drive power connector and are nominal values.) Specification Measurement DC Voltage +12 VDC +5 VDC Voltage Tolerance ± 10% ± 5% Operational Current 2.0 amp[...]

  • Page 18

    Chapter 2 Specifications Page 10 STT8000A Product Manual Performance specifications The following table lists the performance specifications for the STT8000A. Feature Specification Capacity 4.0 gigabytes—900Oe 740' Travan cartridge (uncompressed) 8.0 gigabytes—900Oe 740’ Travan cartridge (compressed) Effective backup rate 30 Mbytes/min t[...]

  • Page 19

    Specifications Chapter 2 STT8000A Product Manual Page 11 Environmental requirements The following table lists the environmental specifications for the STT8000A. The drive may be mounted either vertically or horizontally. Specification Operational Non-operational Temperature +4 1 ° t o +113° F 1 (+ 5° to + 45° C) –40° to +149 o F 2 (–40° t[...]

  • Page 20

    Chapter 2 Specifications Page 12 STT8000A Product Manual Reliability The STT8000A is designed for maximum reliability and data integrity. The following table summarizes the reliability specifications. Feature Specification Non-recoverable error rate < 1 in 10 15 bits Error recovery and control Reed-Solomon Error Correction Code techniques Error [...]

  • Page 21

    Specifications Chapter 2 STT8000A Product Manual Page 13 Recommended tapes The STT8000A uses pre-formatted minicartridges. The following cartridges are recommended: Description Seagate Sony 3M/Imation Travan (740 ft) (QIC-3095) • 4.0 GB capacity • 8.0 GB capacity with data compression 8000TT — TR-4 Standard 900 Oe (400 ft) (QIC-3080) • 1.6 [...]

  • Page 22

    Chapter 2 Specifications Page 14 STT8000A Product Manual Regulatory compliance The STT8000A complies with the regulations listed in the following table. Agency Regulation CSA C22.2, No. 950-M89 TUV & IEC-RHEINLAND EN 60 950/IEC 950 UL 1950 Canadian Dept. of Communications Class B EN55022 (CISPR-22) with additional CE-Mark test requirements Clas[...]

  • Page 23

    Installation Chapter 3 STT8000A Product Manual Page 15 Installation Introduction This chapter explains how to install the STT8000A. The following paragraphs briefly outline the organization of this chapter. • The following section, Before you begin contains general information that you should read before you begin the installation. • Setting ju[...]

  • Page 24

    Chapter 3 Installation Page 16 STT8000A Product Manual Setting jumpers Review the jumper settings to ensure that the jumpers are properly configured for your system. Figure 3-1 shows the location of the jumper block. Figure 3-2 shows the jumper block. Note: Record your jumper settings prior to installation. They are not visible after the drive has [...]

  • Page 25

    Installation Chapter 3 STT8000A Product Manual Page 17 Installing the drive The internal drive can be installed in a one-half-inch high by 3.5-inch form factor drive bay or in an inch-high by 5.25-inch form factor (with mounting brackets). The drive can be installed in three different orientations: horizontally (LED to the left) and vertically (on [...]

  • Page 26

    Chapter 3 Installation Page 18 STT8000A Product Manual 6. Secure the drive using the mounting screws. The threaded mounting brackets are designed for M3.0 metric screws. If you are mounting the drive in a 3.5-inch bay, use the screw supplied with the drive. Do not substitute other screws. Using longer screws may damage the drive. If slide rails are[...]

  • Page 27

    Installation Chapter 3 STT8000A Product Manual Page 19 Figure 3-4 Mounting holes on internal drive (without mounting brackets) 6.2 in (159 mm) 2.382 in (60 mm) 0.984 in (25 mm) 3.543 in (90 mm) 2.758 in (70 mm) 1.220 in (31 mm) 0.315 in (8 mm) 0.2 in (5 mm) 0.157 in (4 mm) 1.0 in (25.4 mm) 4.0 in (102.6 mm) 3.7 in (94 mm) Figure 3-5 Mounting holes [...]

  • Page 28

    Chapter 3 Installation Page 20 STT8000A Product Manual ATA-2 Interface pin assignments The STT8000A provides a standard ATA-2 connector. The pin assignments for this connector are listed in the following table for your reference. Pin Assignment Description Source 1 RESET Reset Host 2 Gnd Ground N/A 3 DD7 Data Bus bit 7 Host/Device 4 DD8 Data Bus bi[...]

  • Page 29

    Installation Chapter 3 STT8000A Product Manual Page 21 Pin Assignment Description Source 24 –REQ Ground N/A 25 –I/O I/O Read Host 26 GND Ground N/A 27 IORDY I/O Ready Device 28 CSEL Cable Select Device 29 DMACK DMA Acknowledge Host 30 GND Ground N/A 31 INTRQ Interrupt Request Device 32 10CS16- 16-Bit I/O Device 33 DA1 Device Address Bit 1 Host [...]

  • Page 30

    Chapter 3 Installation Page 22 STT8000A Product Manual Notes[...]

  • Page 31

    Drive operation and maintenance Chapter 4 STT8000A Product Manual Page 23 Drive operation and maintenance Introduction This chapter describes important operational procedures for the STT8000A. It covers the following topics: • Use of the front panel LED • Using cartridges • Loading revised firmware (updating flash EEPROM) • Drive maintenanc[...]

  • Page 32

    Chapter 4 Drive operation and maintenance Page 24 STT8000A Product Manual Using Travan cartridges The minicartridges recommended for use with the STT8000A are listed in chapter 2. This section describes some operations using the cartridges. Loading and unloading cartridges Your tape drive has a flip-up door that covers the cartridge opening when a [...]

  • Page 33

    Drive operation and maintenance Chapter 4 STT8000A Product Manual Page 25 Setting the write–protect switch Travan minicartridges feature a sliding write protect tab located in the upper left corner of the cartridge. You can set the tab to keep data from being written on the tape. Use this switch when you want to make sure that important data on t[...]

  • Page 34

    Chapter 4 Drive operation and maintenance Page 26 STT8000A Product Manual Loading revised firmware via Seagate firmware cartridge The STT8000A uses flash EEPROM. Flash EEPROM enables you to download new firmware when revisions to firmware are released. Firmware revisions are released on specially encoded cartridges that are automatically recognized[...]

  • Page 35

    Drive operation and maintenance Chapter 4 STT8000A Product Manual Page 27 Care and maintenance of the drive and cartridges Minimal maintenance is needed to ensure that your STT8000A minicartridge drive operates at peak condition. This section explains how to care for tape cartridges and how to clean the drive head. Caring for tape cartridges Althou[...]

  • Page 36

    Chapter 4 Drive operation and maintenance Page 28 STT8000A Product Manual Cleaning the drive read/write head To maintain the tape drive, you should periodically clean the read/write head. No other periodic maintenance is required. For new cartridges, clean the head after two hours of tape movement. Thereafter the drive can be cleaned as per normal [...]

  • Page 37

    Drive operation and maintenance Chapter 4 STT8000A Product Manual Page 29 Troubleshooting If you experience problems after you install the drive, take the following actions to try to solve the problems. 1. Make sure that all cable connections are secure. 2. Check the drive to be sure that the jumper settings are correct. If a power interruption occ[...]

  • Page 38

    Chapter 4 Drive operation and maintenance Page 30 STT8000A Product Manual Notes[...]

  • Page 39

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 31 ATAPI interface Introduction The STT8000A provides an ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) controller for communications between the host computer and the drive. The drive supports the QIC-157 standard interface. Note: Refer to the QIC-157 Standard for detailed information about the this interface. [...]

  • Page 40

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 32 STT8000A Product Manual ATA registers The following table lists the values for the registers during register initialization. Register POR RESET– (Hard Reset) ATA Reset (SRST Bit) ATAPI Soft Reset Read/Identify Device Cmds STATUS 00h 00h 00h 10h 41h (DRDY+ERR) ERROR 01h (No Error) 01h 01h 01h 04h (ABRT) Sector Cou[...]

  • Page 41

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 33 Error Register The following layout represents the Error Register. 76543 2 1 0 Sense Key [3..0] MCR ABRT EOM ILI Bit(s) Mnemonic Description 7-4 Sense Key Set to indicate the reason for the CHECK bit being set in the Status Register. 3 MCR Media Change Request—Always 0. 2 ABRT Aborted Comm[...]

  • Page 42

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 34 STT8000A Product Manual information. If you do not program this register correctly, the drive "hangs" in the BSY state. To correct this problem, reset operations. Supported ATA Commands The ATA commands are briefly described in the following paragraphs. Execute Drive Diags (90h) This command is executed r[...]

  • Page 43

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 35 Set Features (EFh) If an unsupported feature is selected, the command is aborted. Otherwise, the indicated parameter is set. The following list indicates the supported features: Feature Number Set Feature Commands 03h Set Transfer Mode from Sector Count register 66h Disable reverting to powe[...]

  • Page 44

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 36 STT8000A Product Manual Issuing PIO and DMA transfer modes does not actually select these operations; however, issuing these modes selects the rate of either type of transfer, as selected by the DMA bit (bit 0) of the ATAPI Features register. ATAPI Identify Device (A1h) The protocol and timing of this command confo[...]

  • Page 45

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 37 Word Description Value Meaning 53 Field Validity 0002h Fields 54-58 not valid. Fields 64-70 valid 54-56 Current Cylinder/Heads/Sectors 0000h Unsupported 57-58 Current Capacity 0000h Unsupported 59 Reserved 0000h — 60-61 User Addressable Sectors 0000h Unsupported 62 Single Word DMA Mode 040[...]

  • Page 46

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 38 STT8000A Product Manual ATAPI interface The following table lists the ATAPI interface commands for the drive. In this table, DSC restrictive means that the host should wait for DSC to be set before issuing the command for minimum IDE bus overhead. Note that all ATAPI commands are 12 bytes in length. The command des[...]

  • Page 47

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 39 Erase command Bit=> Byte 76543 21 0 0 Operation code (19h) 1 Reserved 1 (Long) 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved 5 Reserved The Erase command is only accepted when the drive is ready and located at either BOP 0/1 or EOD. Erase at BOP causes the drive to write a Control/Filler Frame at the [...]

  • Page 48

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 40 STT8000A Product Manual Inquiry command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (12h) 1 Reserved 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4-7 Allocation Length 8-15 Vendor ID (8 ASCII characters) ASCII “Seagate “ 16-31 Product ID (16 ASCII characters ASCII “STT8000A “ The INQUIRY command is always accepted, regardless of the state[...]

  • Page 49

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 41 Load/Unload command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (1Bh) 1 Reserved 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved Re-Ten Load 5 Reserved LOAD (with or without Re-tension) is accepted any time a tape is present in the drive, (even if status indicates it is already loaded). This command includes implic[...]

  • Page 50

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 42 STT8000A Product Manual Locate command Bit Byte 7654 321 0 0 Operation code (2Bh) 1 Reserved CP Reserved 2 Reserved 3 (MSB) 4 Logical Block Address 5 6 (LSB) 7 Reserved 8 Partition 9 Reserved If the Change Partition (CP) bit is set, the drive first changes to the specified partition, then attempts to locate before [...]

  • Page 51

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 43 Log Select command Bit Byte 7654321 0 0 Operation code (4Ch) 1 Reserved PCR Reserved 2 01(PC) Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved 5 Reserved 6 Reserved 7 (MSB) Parameter List Length 8 (LSB) 9 Reserved The PC (Page Control) field is 01, for current values. The Parameter List Length field specifies[...]

  • Page 52

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 44 STT8000A Product Manual Log Sense command Bit Byte 7654 321 0 0 Operation code (4Dh) 1 Reserved 2 01(PC) Page Code 3 Reserved 4 Reserved 5 (MSB) Parameter Pointer 6 (LSB) 7 (MSB) Allocation Length 8 (LSB) 9 Reserved The PC (Page Control) field is 01, for current values. The Page Code field identifies which page of [...]

  • Page 53

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 45 Error Counter Page (Read) The following table presents the Error Counter Page layout. Byte Description Value Meaning 0 Page Code 03h Error Counter (Read) Page 1 Reserved 00h - 2,3 Page Length 0030h 48 Bytes Following 4,5 Parameter Code 0000h ECC Corrections Code 6 Parameter Bits 40h Device C[...]

  • Page 54

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 46 STT8000A Product Manual Tape Capacity Page Code The following table presents the Tape Capacity Page layout. Byte Description Value Meaning 0 Page Code 31h Tape Capacity Page 1 Reserved 00h - 2,3 Page Length 00,20h 32 Bytes Following 4,5 Parameter Code 0001h Remaining Capacity, Part 0 Code 6 Parameter Bits 40h Devic[...]

  • Page 55

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 47 Mode Select command Bit Byte 7654321 0 0 Operation code (15h) 1 Reserved 1 (PF) Reserved 2 Reserved 3 (MSB) Parameter List Length 4 (LSB) 5 Reserved The Mode Select command provides a means to change device parameters. The PF (Page Format) bit is 1, since the Mode Pages are in SCSI-2 format.[...]

  • Page 56

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 48 STT8000A Product Manual Mode Sense command Bit Byte 7654 321 0 0 Operation code (1Ah) 1 Reserved DBD Reserved 2 00(PC) Page Code 3 (MSB) Allocation Length 4 (LSB) 5 Reserved The PC (Page Control) field is 00, since only current values are reported. If DBD (Disable Block Descriptor) is set (1), then the Mode Block D[...]

  • Page 57

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 49 Mode Parameter Header The following table describes the Mode Parameter header. Byte Description Value Meaning 0 Mode Data Length NN Select: Reserved Sense: Length of Available Following Data 1 Medium Type N N Tape type 2 Device Specific Parameters WP,001,Speed Bit 7 = Write Protect, Bits 6-4[...]

  • Page 58

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 50 STT8000A Product Manual Mode Medium Partition Page The following table describes the Mode Medium Partition Page layout. Byte Description Value Meaning 0 Page Code 11h Medium Partition Page 1 Page Length 06h 6 Bytes of Information 2,3 Maximum Additional Partitions, Additional Partitions Defined 00h,00h Not Supported[...]

  • Page 59

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 51 Mode Tape Parameters Page Byte Description Value Meaning 0 Page Code 2Bh Tape Parameters Page 1 Page Length 0Eh 14 Bytes of Information 2 Density in Kilo bits per inch NN Density can imply tape format 3 Reserved 00h — 4 Reserved (Format Fill Byte) 00 h Not used, MFM mode is read only 5 BSE[...]

  • Page 60

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 52 STT8000A Product Manual Read command Bit Byte 7654321 0 0 Operation code (08h) 1 Reserved 1 (Fixed) 2 (MSB) 3 Transfer Length 4 (LSB) 5 Reserved The Transfer Length specifies the number of fixed 512 byte blocks to be transferred. A transfer length of 0 indicates that no data is to be transferred but will initiate a[...]

  • Page 61

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 53 Read Position command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (34h) 1 Reserved 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved 5 Reserved 6 Reserved 7 Reserved 8 Reserved 9 Reserved The following table describes the Read Position layout. Byte Description Value Meaning 0 BOP, EOP, BPU nn 80h = Beginning of Parti[...]

  • Page 62

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 54 STT8000A Product Manual * These fields might appear to report the number of bytes/blocks in the buffer. However, this information is not guaranteed to be accurate. You should not rely on this information. The only position that is guaranteed is the host logical block position. The First and Last Block Locations bot[...]

  • Page 63

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 55 Request Sense command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (03h) 1 Reserved 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Allocation Length 5 Reserved An Allocation Length value of 20 will return all Request Sense data. The Request Sense command is always accepted, regardless of the state of the DSC bit, but the st[...]

  • Page 64

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 56 STT8000A Product Manual The following table describes the REQUEST SENSE layout. Byte Description Value Meaning 0 Valid, Error Code 70h,71h 80h = Information Field Valid + 70h = Current Errors or 71h = Deferred Errors 1 Reserved (Segment Number) 00 — 2 Filemark, EOM, ILI, Sense Key N N 80h = Filemark + 40h = EOM +[...]

  • Page 65

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 57 Rewind command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (01h) 1 Reserved 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved 5 Reserved The Rewind command first ensures that all buffered write data has been transferred to the medium, then causes the device to position to BOP of the current partition. The DSC bit is [...]

  • Page 66

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 58 STT8000A Product Manual Space command Bit Byte 7654 321 0 0 Operation code (11h) 1 Reserved Space Code 2 (MSB) 3 Count 4 (LSB) 5 Reserved The only Space codes that are supported are 001b (Filemarks) and 011b (End of Data on Current Partition). For Space Filemarks, negative count (2s compliment) indicates Space File[...]

  • Page 67

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 59 Test Unit Ready command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (00h) 1 Reserved 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved 5 Reserved This command can be used to determine the readiness of the device to accept a media access command. It’s purpose is to indicate the cartridge state: no cartridge (or driv[...]

  • Page 68

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 60 STT8000A Product Manual Write command Bit Byte 7654 321 0 0 Operation code (0Ah) 1 Reserved 1 (Fixed) 1 Reserved 2 (MSB) 3 Transfer Length 4 (LSB) 5 Reserved The Transfer Length specifies the number of fixed 512 byte blocks to be transferred. A transfer length of 0 indicates that no data is to be transferred but is[...]

  • Page 69

    ATAPI Interface Chapter 5 STT8000A Product Manual Page 61 Write Filemark command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (10h) 1 Reserved 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved Count 5 Reserved After receiving this command, the device sets DSC (0) and returns completion status. Any data remaining in the buffer is then written to tape (flush/ synchronize), and[...]

  • Page 70

    Chapter 5 ATAPI Interface Page 62 STT8000A Product Manual Write Buffer (download microcode) command Bit Byte 76543210 0 Operation code (3Bh) 1 Reserved 101 (Mode) 2 Reserved 3 Reserved 4 Reserved 5 Reserved 6 (MSB) 7 Transfer Length 8 (LSB) 9 Reserved The Write Buffer command is intended only to provide a method for downloading new drive microcode [...]

  • Page 71

    Tape format Chapter 6 STT8000A Product Manual Page 63 Tape format Introduction The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive conforms to the QIC-3095-MC recording format standard. This format is for streaming magnetic tape in a minicartridge that is to be used for information interchange among information processing systems, communication systems, and asso[...]

  • Page 72

    Chapter 6 Tape format Page 64 STT8000A Product Manual Track numbering All even numbered tracks, and the Directory Track, are recorded in the forward direction (the direction from the BOT marker to the EOT marker). All odd numbered tracks are recorded in the reverse direction (the direction from the EOT marker to the BOT marker). All even numbered t[...]

  • Page 73

    Tape format Chapter 6 STT8000A Product Manual Page 65 Figure 6-1 General track layout Frame N Frame N+1 Frame N+2 Frame N+3 Frame N+4 Frames are numbered indirectly using the 26 most significant bits of the Physical Block Address. Frame operation is controlled by the drive and generally invisible to the host. Frames are used primarily as a means to[...]

  • Page 74

    Chapter 6 Tape format Page 66 STT8000A Product Manual Blocks Information in the Block Control byte determines the type of block being recorded except for ECC blocks which are recognized by their block numbers. Also, information about the number of user data bytes available in each data block is recorded in the Block Control byte of the block. The D[...]

  • Page 75

    Tape format Chapter 6 STT8000A Product Manual Page 67 Write equalization The drive uses the technique of write equalization. RLL encoding has a 4:1 ratio in the minimum and maximum spacing between flux transitions. Write equalization inserts short pulses in the write current to break up the long spacing intervals. These pulses are too short to be d[...]

  • Page 76

    Chapter 6 Tape format Page 68 STT8000A Product Manual Notes[...]

  • Page 77

    Theory of operations Chapter 7 STT8000A Product Manual Page 69 Theory of operations Overview The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive is based on proven Seagate designs, Seagate firmware, and the latest technology. This drive uses second generation, custom LSIs for efficient circuit layout and increased reliability with low power consumption. The driv[...]

  • Page 78

    Chapter 7 Theory of operations Page 70 STT8000A Product Manual The following table shows clock frequencies used by the STT8000 drive VCO Frequencies—All Derived from System Clock (42 MHz Crystal Oscillator) Fundamental Frequency 28 MHz 28 MHz 28 MHz 24.89 MHz Channel Frequency 9.33 MHz 7.00 MHz 4.667 MHz 3.11 MHz Mechanics The mechanical package [...]

  • Page 79

    Theory of operations Chapter 7 STT8000A Product Manual Page 71 Control circuits The control logic module shown in Figure 7-1 includes a buffer manager to handle data movement between the controller, the buffer, and the tape formatter. This module also includes logic to perform ECC and CRC generation and testing, WRITE/READ data formatting, head ste[...]

  • Page 80

    Chapter 7 Theory of operations Page 72 STT8000A Product Manual the position of the SAFE indicator on the cartridge and disables writing of write- protected (SAFE) cartridges. The Head-Position Sensor is an electro-optical assembly (LED and photo-transistor) to determine the approximate head position. The drive has an electro-optical sensor assembly[...]

  • Page 81

    Glossary Appendix A STT8000A Product Manual Page 73 Glossary ATA Packet Interface— The interface providing for communications between the host computer and the drive (standard QIC-157). Azimuth— The angular deviation, in minutes of arc, of the mean flux transition line from the line normal to the tape reference edge. Backup— Copy of a file or[...]

  • Page 82

    Appendix A Glossary Page 74 STT8000A Product Manual Dew— Collection of moisture in a tape drive. Directory track —The track at the centerline of the tape, identified as track 254 by its Track ID frame. Disc Drive— A peripheral storage device that rotates the disk, writes data onto it, and reads data from it as instructed by a program. ECC —[...]

  • Page 83

    Glossary Appendix A STT8000A Product Manual Page 75 Randomizing— A re-coding of data symbols before they are written to tape in order to provide a consistently uniform RF envelope level. RLL (Run Length Limited)— A data encoding method where data bits are encoded so that certain constraints are met with regard to the maximum and minimum distanc[...]

  • Page 84

    Appendix A Glossary Page 76 STT8000A Product Manual Notes[...]

  • Page 85

    Acronyms and Measurements Appendix B STT8000A Product Manual Page 77 Acronyms and measurements Acronyms and abbreviations Acronym Meaning ANSI American National Standards Institute BIOS Basic Input Output System BOM Beginning of Media BOT Beginning Of Tape BPI Bits Per Inch CD Compact Disc CMOS Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor CSA Canadian S[...]

  • Page 86

    Appendix B Acronyms and Measurements Page 78 STT8000A Product Manual Acronym Meaning LSI Large Scale Integration MTBF Mean Times Between Failures MTTR Mean Time To Repair OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer PCB Printed Circuit Board QIC Quarter Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Incorporated RAM Random Access Memory RLL Run Length Limited SCSI Small C[...]

  • Page 87

    Acronyms and Measurements Appendix B STT8000A Product Manual Page 79 Units of measurement Measure Meaning A Amp C Celsius or Centigrade cm centimeter dBa decibels, A-weighted sound power reference one picowatt F Fahrenheit ft foot or feet g acceleration of a free-falling body; equal to 32.17 feet per second 2 Gbyte gigabyte Hz Hertz in. inch k kilo[...]

  • Page 88

    Appendix B Acronyms and Measurements Page 80 STT8000A Product Manual[...]