AME Cleaning tape question

[msg]

I'm compiling a chart of recognition hole patterns for 8mm tape media;
I don't have a cleaning tape specified for Exabyte Mammoth 1 and
evidently these differ from standard 8mm cleaning tapes.

If anyone can lay hands on cleaning tapes for Mammoth 1 and 2, please
reply with a description of the hole patterns. The holes are
designated as follows:

lid end at top

| 5 4 |
| O O |
|O O O O|
-------//-------
wp 1 2 3

Many thanks,

Michael

[msg]

msg wrote:

Please also open the lid and judge the color of the cleaning tape
(past the clear leader); is it a translucent white or a more opaque
pigment?

I have experimented with an EXB-8500 cleaning tape by punching out
all of the recognition holes and selectively blocking them for testing
in an EXB-8900 drive.

I am stumped as to how the drive recognizes a cleaning tape; unless
the drive is faulty, no combinations of sixteen holes (1 2 3 5) that
I tried is recognized as a cleaning tape.

FWIW, When I set the holes for the DA-1 pattern (1 0 1 1) which is
the EXB-8500 tape format (not cleaning), the drive ejects the cart
before loading tape, but if the tape is an actual DA-1, it loads fine
(which I assume is due to the opacity of the tape in the light path
vs. the translucency of the cleaning tape which would permit both
PBOT and PEOT sensors to be illuminated and thus be judged a fault(?).

Clarification would be appreciated.

Michael

[msg]

msg wrote:

> msg wrote:
>
>> I'm compiling a chart of recognition hole patterns for 8mm tape media;
>> I don't have a cleaning tape specified for Exabyte Mammoth 1 and
>> evidently these differ from standard 8mm cleaning tapes.
>>
>> If anyone can lay hands on cleaning tapes for Mammoth 1 and 2, please
>> reply with a description of the hole patterns. The holes are
>> designated as follows:
>>
>> lid end at top
>>
>> | 5 4 |
>> | O O |
>> |O O O O|
>> -------//-------
>> wp 1 2 3
>>
>
>
> Please also open the lid and judge the color of the cleaning tape
> (past the clear leader); is it a translucent white or a more opaque
> pigment?
>
> I have experimented with an EXB-8500 cleaning tape by punching out
> all of the recognition holes and selectively blocking them for testing
> in an EXB-8900 drive.
>
> I am stumped as to how the drive recognizes a cleaning tape; unless
> the drive is faulty, no combinations of sixteen holes (1 2 3 5) that
> I tried is recognized as a cleaning tape.

<snip>

My first experimental cleaning tape had translucent cloth. I subsequently tried
an IBM 16G8467 cleaning tape, which uses a black material and has recognition
holes {1 2 3 5} = {1 0 1 1} = DA-1 tape type; observed results are:

Notes on EXB-8900 behavior with various cleaning tapes:

1. Inserting Exabyte white cleaning tape: cart immediately ejected, no load

2. Inserting IBM cleaning tape: cart loads, drum spins for three seconds,
unloads, ejects, amber light remains on.

3. Inserting IBM cleaning tape with all holes covered: cart loads, runs
three second spin, unloads, repeats four more times, ejects. Amber light
remains on.

I really must not try all sixteen hole combinations with a cleaning tape that
may load and unload without resetting the cleaning flag or risk excessive head
wear. Someone out there must have a Mammoth 1 cleaning cart to inspect; please
tell me the hole pattern ;)

Thanks,

Michael

(comp.periphs.scsi added to post list)

[msg]

msg wrote:

<snip>

I feel a bit schizophrenic writing to myself here but hope that various addn'l
facts may prompt some discussion.

In an IBM PDF file for AIX users (tapehelp summary), the following description
of Mammoth 1 and Mammoth 2 cleaning is given:

========================================
ILLEGAL TAPE
If a customer inserts an ILLEGAL TAPE, like a cloth cleaning tape,
then the tape will be ejected and the ILLEGAL TAPE message will be
displayed until a suitable tape is loaded.

Note: ILLEGAL TAPE - Only tapes labeled AME can be written by these
drives. Tapes labeled 15m, 54m, 112m, or 160m are Metal Particle(MP)
and cannot be written. The 20GB drive can read MP tapes, the 60GB
drive cannot read MP tapes and it will eject MP tapes. After reading
an MP tape, the 20GB drive MUST BE CLEANED before being able to use
AME tapes, refer to the MUST CLEAN message. After reading MP tapes
insert an AME tape and wait for the AME tape to be ejected and the
MUST CLEAN message to be displayed before doing this cleaning. This
is necessary because there is a special cleaning cycle the tape drive
will do when changing from MP to AME media.

Cleaning tapes supported by the 2.3GB, 5GB and 7GB 8mm tape drive
are NOT supported in this drive, if these cleaning cartridges are
inserted the "ILLEGAL TAPE" message will be displayed, and the tape
ejected.
========================================

This description expands considerably from what Exabyte has published in their
operating manuals. It specifically states that standard cleaning media will
be rejected by the drive(s) and that inserting an AME tape is necessary to
invoke the subsequent cleaning cycle after using MP tape.

Mammoth 2 employs additional recognition technology as described in U.S. Patent
6,385,001 which uses the length of a clear window in the tape between magnetic
and cleaning segments to identify the medium, however this does not apply to
the Mammoth 1.

I would like to know if the Mammoth 1 compatible cleaning tapes (don't have any
to inspect) contain any sort of discontinuities (such as clear windows) between
cleaning segments and if there is any recorded information on the tape medium
(various patents describe cleaning tapes which also contain magnetically recorded
information on the cleaning medium). Additional descriptions of LCD display
messages include one that the cleaning cartridge maximum use has been exceed
(perhaps this is only for the Mammoth 2 but it isn't clear; how would a Mammoth 1
drive decide when a cleaning cartridge is spent? In earlier implementations,
the only way the drive knew the cleaning cartridge was spent was that it was at
PEOT. Does the Mammoth 1 _write_ to the cleaning medium to log its use?

I had assumed that recognition holes were sufficient to identify a Mammoth 1
cleaning tape but now question that assumption. If someone tells me the hole
pattern I will test to see if it is sufficient identifying information by
setting the holes on the IBM generic cleaning cartridge and loading it.

Can anyone clarify?

Michael