Exabyte EXB-8500 Owner's manual

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Copyright
Copyright 1993 by Exabyte Corporation. All rights reserved. This item
and the information contained herein are the property of Exabyte
Corporation. No part of this document may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into
any language or computer language in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or
otherwise, without the express written permission of Exabyte
Corporation, 1685 38th Street, Boulder, Colorado 80301.
Disclaimer
Exabyte Corporation makes no representation or warranties with
respect to the contents of this document and specifically disclaims any
implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular
purpose. Further, Exabyte Corporation reserves the right to revise this
publication without obligation to notify any person or organization of
such revisions or changes.
Trademark Notices
AMP is a trademark of AMP Incorporated. Beckman Industrial is a
trademark of Emerson Electric Company. Dale is a registered
trademark of Dale Electronics, Inc. dataMate is a registered trademark
of Methode Electronics, Inc. EXABYTE is a registered trademark and
EXATAPE is a trademark of Exabyte Corporation. Molex is a
registered trademark of Molex Incorporated. All other product names
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Revision History
Revision Date Description
000 December 1993 Initial release
Exabyte Corporation
1685 38th Street
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
306216-000
2 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

Agency Standards
When properly installed with a shielded enclosure, shielded cable,
and adequate grounding the of the SCSI bus and the input power, the
EXB-8500 and EXB-8500c meet the following safety standards: UL
Standard 1950, 1st Edition, Information Technology Equipment;
CAN/CSA Standard C22.2 No. 950-M-89, Safety of Information
Technology Equipment; and IEC 950/EN60950, Safety of Information
Technology Equipment including Electrical Business Equipment
(TUV).
FCC Notice
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits
for a Class B digital device pursuant to Part 15 of FCC rules. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause interference to
radio and television communications. There is no guarantee, however,
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception,
which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures:
■Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
■Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
■Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from
that to which the receiver is connected.
■Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for
help and for additional suggestions.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by Exabyte
Corporation could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
CDC Notice
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio
noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio
Interference Regulation of the Canadian Department of
Communication.
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 3

Product Warranty Caution
The EXB-8500 and EXB-8500c 8mm Cartridge Tape Subsystems (tape
drives) are warranted to be free from defects in materials, parts, and
workmanship and will conform to the current product specifications
upon delivery. For the specific details of your warranty, refer to your
sales contract or contact the company from which the tape drive was
purchased.
The warranty for the tape drive shall not apply to failures caused by:
■Physical abuse or use not consistent with the operating
instructions or product specifications provided by Exabyte’s
personnel or agent for the applicable equipment.
■Modifications by other than Exabyte’s personnel or agent in any
way other than those approved by Exabyte, provided the
warranty shall not be voided by the repair or replacement of
parts or the attachment of items in the manner described in
maintenance or installation instructions provided by Exabyte.
■Repair by other than Exabyte’s personnel or agent in a manner
contrary to the maintenance instructions provided by Exabyte.
■Removal of the Exabyte serial number tag.
■Physical abuse due to improper packaging of returns.
CAUTION
Returning the tape drive in unauthorized packaging may
damage the unit and void the warranty. Refer to the packing
instructions in this book for information.
If problems with the EXB-8500 or EXB-8500c occur, contact your
vendor; do not void the product warranty by allowing untrained or
unauthorized personnel to attempt repairs.
4 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

Contents
Welcome............................7
AboutThisGuide.........................8
ConventionsUsedinThisGuide.................8
ForMoreInformation.......................8
1InstallingtheTapeDrive..................9
Unpacking the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
EnsuringESDProtection.................... 10
SettingtheSCSIID....................... 11
Preparing the Tape Drive for the SCSI Bus . . . . . . . . . . 14
Installing the Tape Drive in a PC Drive Bay . . . . . . . . . . 17
PerformingtheInitialPowerOn ................ 20
2OperatingtheTapeDrive ................ 23
Reading the LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SelectingDataCartridges ................... 25
SettingtheWrite-ProtectSwitch ................ 26
Loading a Data Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
UnloadingaDataCartridge................... 27
3PreventiveMaintenance ................. 29
Determining When to Clean the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . 29
Usingthe8mmCleaningCartridge............... 30
Caring for Data Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
ReplacingDataCartridges................... 32
4PackingtheTapeDrive.................. 33
PackingtheTapeDriveforShipment ............. 34
Environmental Requirements for Shipment . . . . . . . . . . 35
Appendix A Installation Requirements .......... 37
SCSI Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
SCSI Cable Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
AttachingtheTapeDrivetoaFrame.............. 38
Chassis Grounding (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Power Cable Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
AppendixBTapeDriveSpecifications .......... 42
Index............................. 43
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 5

6 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

Welcome
Thank you for selecting the EXABYTE®EXB-8500 or
EXB-8500c 8mm Cartridge Tape Subsystem (tape drive).
The EXB-8500 and the EXB-8500c (shown below) are
high-capacity, high-performance, and highly reliable
streaming tape drives for PC, super-mini, and mainframe
computer systems. Packaged in a standard 5.25-inch
form-factor, the EXB-8500c and EXB-8500 are identical on
the outside except for the letter “c” on the EXB-8500c’s
front panel unload button.
The EXB-8500 provides up to 5.0 GBytes of data storage
capacity on a single, standard 112m EXATAPE™ 8mm
Data Cartridge. Using an average data compression ratio
of 2:1, the EXB-8500c can store up to 10.0 GBytes of data
on an 8mm data cartridge.
The tape drive incorporates a single-ended or differential
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) controller and is
ideally suited for back-up and restore tasks, data
archiving, and data file interchange.
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 7

About This Guide
Use this guide as you install and operate the tape drive.
In addition to instructions for installation and operation,
this guide provides information about selecting and
maintaining data cartridges, cleaning the tape drive, and
packing the tape drive for shipment.
Conventions Used in This Guide
This guide uses the following conventions to highlight
special information:
Note: Notes provide hints or suggestions about the topic
or procedure being discussed.
Important
Information in Important boxes will help you
successfully complete a procedure or avoid
additional steps in a procedure.
CAUTION
Information in Caution boxes explains how to avoid
damaging the tape drive, the data cartridge, other
equipment, or data recorded on tape.
For More Information
Fortapedrivespecifications,refertotheEXB-8500 and
EXB-8500c 8mm Cartridge Tape Subsystems Product
Specification (510200). For information about
programming SCSI commands for the tape drive, refer to
the EXB-8500 8mm Cartridge Tape Subsystem User’s Manual
(510201) or the EXB-8500c 8mm Cartridge Tape Subsystem
User’s Manual (510209).
8 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

1Installing the Tape Drive
This section provides instructions for the following tasks:
■Unpacking the tape drive and ensuring ESD
protection (page 10)
■Setting the SCSI ID (page 11)
■Preparing the tape drive for the SCSI bus (page 14)
■Installing the tape drive in a PC drive bay (page 17)
■Connecting the tape drive to the power supply (page
20)
■Performing the initial power on (page 20)
Table 1 lists the tools and equipment you will need.
Required Tools and Equipment
SCSI cable
(not provided) See page 37 for SCSI cable requirements.
Power cable See page 40 for power cable requirements.
Power supply See page 42 for power specifications.
Optional Tools and Equipment
SCSI ID jumpers or
remote switch Use a female Molex®22-55-2061 (or equivalent) cable connector on the remote
switch cable.
External SCSI
bus terminator
(not provided)
Differential tape drive: If the tape drive
terminates the SCSI bus, use a Methode
Electronics, Inc. dataMate®DM103-01-0 (or
equivalent) differential external terminator.
Single-ended tape drive: If the tape drive
terminates the SCSI bus, you can remove
the tape drive’s internal terminators (R-packs)
and use a dataMate DM103-02-0 (or equi-
valent) single-ended external terminator.
Mounting frame
or brackets, four
#6-32 screws, screwdriver
Depending on your installation requirements,
can be used to mount the tape drive.
Flat-nose
wiring pliers Can be used to remove the R-packs from a single-ended tape drive. See page 15.
Table 1 Tools and equipment for installing the CTS
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 9

1⁄4-inch female spade
connector or M3-0.5 6
mm self-tapping screw
Can be used for additional chassis
grounding.
Unpacking the Tape Drive
The tape drive’s packaging is designed to protect the tape
drivefromshock,vibration,moisture,andelectrostatic
discharge (ESD). Save all original packaging in case you
need to repack or ship the tape drive.
CAUTION
If the temperature of the room in which you are
unpacking the tape drive differs from the storage
location by 15°C(27°F) or more, let the tape drive
acclimate in its packaging to the room environment
for at least 12 hours before opening the box. This
helps prevent condensation damage to the drive.
Afteryouunpackthetapedrive,checkthecontentsofthe
carton against the packing list and inspect the tape drive
for possible damage. If a part is missing or the tape drive
is damaged, notify the carrier and your vendor
immediately.
Note: If the tape drive has been stored for more than six
months, follow the instructions on page 21 when
applying power for the first time. (Check the
MLCH label on the top of the tape drive to find
out when the tape drive was manufactured.)
Ensuring ESD Protection
Follow these procedures to protect the tape drive from
electrostatic discharge (ESD):
■Leave the tape drive in its antistatic bag until you are
ready to install it.
■Use an antistatic mat and grounded static protection
wristband. If a mat and wristband are unavailable,
10 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

discharge static electricity from your body before
handling the tape drive. (Touch a known grounded
surface, such as your computer’s metal chassis.)
■If you must lay the tape drive down, place it into or
on top of the antistatic bag.
Setting the SCSI ID
Afterunpackingthetapedrive,youcanchangethetape
drive’s default SCSI ID, if necessary. Do not use SCSI ID
7. This SCSI ID is used by your SCSI adapter card.
YoucanuseanyofthefollowingmethodstosettheID:
■Set the DIP switches on the rear of the tape drive.
■Attach jumpers (shunts) to the pins on the tape
drive’s SCSI ID jumper block. Jumpers are already
installed on the jumper block when the tape drive is
shipped.
■Connect a remote switch to the SCSI ID jumper block
on the back of the tape drive.
These methods are explained in the following sections.
Important
If you are using a remote switch or jumpers to set
the SCSI ID, make sure that the DIP switches are set
to SCSI ID 0 (the default). Similarly, if you are using
theDIPswitchestosettheSCSIID,makesurethat
the remote switch or jumpers are set to SCSI ID 0.
If you set both the DIP switches and the remote
switch to a particular SCSI ID, the actual SCSI ID
will be the logical OR of the two settings. For
example, if the remote switch is set for SCSI ID 1
and the DIP switches are set for SCSI ID 2, the
actual SCSI ID will be 3.
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 11

Setting the SCSI ID with the DIP Switches
To set the SCSI ID using the DIP switches, follow these
steps:
1. Locate the SCSI ID DIP switches on the back of the
tape drive, as shown in Figure 1.
2. Change the DIP switch settings to the correct SCSI
IDforyourconfiguration.Figure2showsthe
settings for SCSI IDs 0 through 7.
3. Make sure that the remote switch or jumpers are set
to SCSI ID 0.
Figure 1 SCSI ID DIP switches and jumper block
12 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

Setting the SCSI ID with Jumpers
To set the SCSI ID using jumpers, follow these steps:
1. Locate the SCSI ID jumper block on the back of the
tape drive, as shown in Figure 1.
2. Install the jumpers on the jumper block to obtain
the correct SCSI ID for your configuration. Figure 3
shows how to position the jumpers for SCSI IDs 0
through 7.
3. Make sure that the DIP switches are set to SCSI ID 0.
On
Off
On
Off
Figure 2 DIP switch settings for the tape drives’s SCSI
Figure 3 Jumper settings for the tape drive’s SCSI ID
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 13

Setting the SCSI ID with a Remote Switch
If you want to set the SCSI ID remotely, you can attach a
remote switch assembly (not provided with the tape
drive) to the tape drive’s SCSI ID jumper block. To set the
SCSI ID with a remote switch, follow these steps:
1. Locate the SCSI ID jumper block on the back of the
tape drive, as shown in Figure 1.
2. If necessary, remove the jumpers from the pins.
3. Connect a remote switch to the jumper block.
Ensurethattheremoteswitchisnomorethan
30.5 cm (12 inches) from the jumper block. See
Table 1 on page 9 for connector requirements.
4. Make sure that the DIP switches (Figure 1) are set
toaSCSIIDof0.
5. Change the settings on the remote switch to the
correct SCSI ID for your configuration. The switch
settings should emulate the jumper positions shown
in Figure 3.
Note: For specific information about pin
assignments for the SCSI ID jumper block,
refer to the EXB-8500 and EXB-8500c Product
Specification.
Preparing the Tape Drive for the SCSI Bus
The SCSI bus that you attach the tape drive to must be
terminated correctly to ensure proper operation. The
devices that are physically located at each end of the SCSI
cable must have terminators installed. All other devices
on the SCSI cable must not have terminators installed.
If the tape drive will be located at the end of the SCSI bus,
you must terminate the tape drive. The procedure you
use depends on whether the tape drive uses a
single-ended or a differential SCSI configuration.
14 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

Terminating a Single-Ended Tape Drive
The single-ended tape drive includes two single in-line
package resistor terminators (R-packs) that can be left in
place if the tape drive terminates the SCSI bus.
CAUTION
The R-packs must be removed if the tape drive does
not terminate the SCSI bus or if you plan to use an
external SCSI bus termination.
Optional External Termination
If desired, you can terminate the single-ended tape drive
externally by removing the R-packs from the back of the
tape drive and installing an external terminator. Exabyte
recommends a Methode Electronics, Inc. dataMate
DM103-02-0 single-ended external terminator.
Removing the R-Packs
To remove the R-packs, follow these steps:
1. Locate the two R-packs on the back of the tape
drive, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Location of R-packs (single-ended
configuration)
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 15

2. Using a pair of flat-nose wiring pliers, grasp each
R-pack at the center and pull it straight out. Be
careful not to squeeze the pliers too tightly or you
may break the R-pack.
Replacing the R-Packs
If you need to put the R-packs back in the tape drive,
make sure that pin 1 of each R-pack is aligned with pin 1
of the socket and that no pins are bent. As shown in
Figure 4, the writing on the R-pack should face upward.
Pin 1 of the R-pack is marked with a colored line or dot
and should line up with the right side of the socket.
CAUTION
If you replace an R-pack, be sure to use the correct
type to avoid damaging the tape drive. The tape
drive uses two 10-pin, 9-resistor R-pack
terminators, rated at 110 ohms. Replacement
R-packs are available from Exabyte (part number
002228).
Terminating a Differential Tape Drive
The differential tape drive does not include internal
terminators. If a differential tape drive terminates the
SCSI bus, it must be terminated externally. See page 9 for
information about the recommended terminator.
Connecting the SCSI Cable
The tape drive uses a standard 50-pin single-ended SCSI
cable connector. Push the keyed connector on the SCSI
cable on to the SCSI connector on the back of the tape
drive. The connector is keyed so that it can be connected
only one way.
Figure 5 shows the location of the SCSI connector.
Note: TheSCSIcableforconnectingthetapedriveto
the host is not provided with the tape drive. Refer
to page 37 for information about the requirements
for the SCSI cable.
16 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

Installing the Tape Drive in a PC Drive Bay
If you are planning to mount the tape drive in a full-high
PC drive bay, follow the guidelines in this section.
Otherwise, refer to Appendix A for installation
requirements, then resume reading on page 20,
“Performing the Initial Power On.”
Before beginning, prepare your computer as follows:
1. Turn off the computer and attached devices.
2. Unplug the power cord.
3. Remove the computer’s cover as described in your
computer owner’s manual.
4. Remove the cover plate(s) from the drive bay(s) you
intend to use. Refer to your computer owner’s
manual for instructions.
Note: Forsomecomputersyoumayneedtousetwo
half-high drive bays to accommodate the tape
drive.
Figure 5 Location of SCSI connector
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 17

5. If necessary, remove one of the floppy disk drives
to provide an empty full-high drive bay for the tape
drive.
CAUTION
If you remove floppy disk drive B to install the tape
drive, be sure to change your system configuration
to reflect this. Refer to your computer owner’s
manual for details on running the system’s setup
program.
Mounting Procedure
Follow these steps to mount the tape drive:
1. Check for the presence of a load resistor in the
computer. If it is present, disconnect the load
resistor cable from the power supply. Refer to your
computer owner’s manual for more information.
2. Use #6 32 screws to attach two slide rails to the
sides of the tape drive (see Figure 6). The tapered
end of each rail should point toward the rear of the
tape drive.
Figure 6 Attaching the slide rails to the tape drive
18 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261

3. From the front of the computer, thread the SCSI
cable into the computer through the open bay. Slide
the tape drive into the bay until the faceplate is
flushwiththefrontofthebay.
4. Secure the tape drive to the drive bay as instructed
in your computer owner’s manual.
5. ConnecttheSCSIcabletoyourSCSIadaptercard
(seeFigure7).
6. If you need additional chassis grounding, connect a
grounding wire fitted with a 1⁄4-inch female spade
connector to the ground tab on the back of the tape
drive. Or, use an M3-0.5 6 mm self-tapping screw
to connect the wire to the grounding hole. The
ground tab and grounding hole are shown in
Figure 8.
Figure 7 Inserting the drive into the drive bay and
connectingtheSCSIcabletotheSCSI
December 1993 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 19

7. Connect power cable from the power supply to the
4-pin power connector on the back of the tape drive.
CAUTION
■Make sure that the PC power is off before you
connect the cable.
■Do not force the plug into the connector. The keyed
edges of the plug and the connector must match.
8. Replace the computer’s cover.
Performing the Initial Power On
Theprocedureyouusetoperformtheinitialpoweron
depends on how long the tape drive has been stored. If
youarenotsurehowlongthetapedrivehasbeenstored,
check the MLCH (machine level control history) label on
the top of the tape drive to find out when the tape drive
was manufactured. Although the tape drive may have
been operated since it was manufactured, for the purpose
of the initial power on, assume that it has been stored
throughout this period.
Tape Drive Stored for Less Than Six Months
If the tape drive has been stored for less than six months,
the only step you need to perform for the initial
power-on is to apply power to the tape drive.
Figure 8 Location of grounding tab, grounding hole,
and power connector
20 EXB-8500/EXB-8500c 306261