Exabyte LTO-3 User manual

1014548-A
MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3)
PRODUCT MANUAL

ii PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2005 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, 2108 55th Street, Boulder, Colorado
80301.
DISCLAIMER Exabyte Corporation makes norepresentation 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 of Exabyte Corporation to notify any person or
organization of such revision or changes.
TRADEMARK
NOTICES
Exabyte is a registered trademarks; Exabotics is a trademark; People Working for You
and SupportSuite are service marks of Exabyte Corporation. IBM is a trademark of
International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, or other countries or
regions, or both. Linear Tape-Open, LTO, the LTO logo, Ultrium, and the Ultrium logo
are U.S. trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, Certance and
Hewlett-Packard. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective owners.
PART NUMBER
REVISION HISTORY
1014548 Revision A
NOTE:The most current information about this product is available at Exabyte’s web site
(www.exabyte.com).
Revision Date Description
A May 2005 Initial release.

JUNE 2005 EXABYTE MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) TAPE DRIVE iii
PRODUCT
WARRANTY
CAUTION
The Exabyte Magnum Tape Drive (LTO-3) is warranted to be free from defects in
materials, parts, and workmanship, and conforms to the current product specification.
For the specific details of your warranty, refer to your sales contract or contact the
company from which you purchased the tape drive.
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.
Use of any type of data cartridge other than an Exabyte LTO tape or an
Exabyte-approved LTO data cartridge.
Use of any type of cleaning material other than an Exabyte LTO tape Cleaning
Cartridge.
Repair or modification by any one other than Exabyte’s personnel or agent in a
manner differing from the maintenance instructions provided by Exabyte.
Removal of the Exabyte identification label(s).
Physical abuse due to improper packaging of returned drives.
If problems with the tape drive occur, contact Exabyte or your service provider; do not
void the product warranty by allowing untrained or unauthorized personnel to attempt
repairs.
FCC NOTICE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in
a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction
manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the
user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
LASER SAFETY
NOTICE
This tape drive contains components that comply with performance standards that are
set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Part 21CFR, 1040.10/11). This means that
these products belong to a class of laser products that do not emit hazardous laser
radiation. This classification was accomplished by providing the necessary protective
housing and scanning safeguards to ensure that laser radiation is inaccessible during
operation or is within Class I limits. External safety agencies have reviewed these
products and have obtained approvals to the latest standards as they apply to this
product type.
END OF LIFE (EOL)
PLAN
This tape drive is a purchased unit. Therefore, it is the sole responsibility of the
purchaser to dispose of it in accordance with local laws and regulations at the time of
disposal. This unit contains recyclable materials. The materials should be recycled where
facilities are available and according to local regulations.
Caution Returning the tape drive in unauthorized packaging may damage the unit and void the
warranty.
If you are returning the tape drive for repair, package it in its original packaging (or in
replacement packaging obtained from your vendor).

iv PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
CONTACTING
EXABYTE To obtain general information
Exabyte Corporate
Headquarters
Exabyte Corporation
2108 55th Street
Boulder, CO USA 80301
[phone]
World Wide Web www.exabyte.com
To obtain technical support
Exabyte Technical Support www.exabyte.com/products/hardwarewarranty.cfm
To order supplies and accessories
Exabyte Sales Support 1-800-774-7172
1-800-392-8273 (Exabyte Media)
To obtain service
Exabyte Service www.exabyte.com/support/contact/index.cfm

JUNE 2005 MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) v
Contents
How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
1Magnum Tape Drive (LTO-3) Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Front Panel Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Back Panel Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2Installing the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Unpack the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Install the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Set the SCSI ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Position the tape drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connect Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Run the Write Performance Test (Function Code F). . . . . . . . . . 8
Connect the tape drive to the SCSI bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Install Device Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Configure the Tape Drive to the Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3Operating the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using the Front Panel Controls and Indicators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using the Power Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using the Unload Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Monitoring the Status LED and Single-Character Display . . . . . 14
Loading a Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Unloading a Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Mid-tape Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Cleaning the Drive Heads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Determining When to Clean the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using a Cleaning Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Resetting the Tape Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Cleaning the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Using the Tape Backup Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

vi PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
4Ultrium Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Data Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cartridge Compatibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Data Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cleaning Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Setting the Write-Protect Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Guidelines for Using Bar Code Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Handling Data Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Provide Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Provide Proper Acclimation and Environmental Conditions. . . 25
Perform a Thorough Inspection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Handle the Cartridge Carefully . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cartridge Storage Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Ensure Proper Packaging for Shipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Repositioning or Reattaching a Leader Pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Repositioning a Leader Pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Reattaching a Leader Pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Environmental and Shipping Specifications for Data Cartridges. . . 35
Disposing of Tape Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
5Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Procedure 1: Determining Firmware Level and Capturing A
Drive Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Procedure 2: Inspecting a Cartridge for Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Procedure 3: Verifying SCSI Address Switch Position . . . . . . . . . . 39
Procedure 4: Checking SCSI Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Procedure 5: Verifying SCSI Interface Communications . . . . . . . . 40
Resolving SCSI Bus Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Fixing a Consistent Error with a Single Drive on a SCSI Bus . . . 40
Fixing a Consistent Error with Multiple Drives on a SCSI Bus . . 40
Fixing an Intermittent Error with a Single Drive on a SCSI Bus . 41
Fixing an Intermittent Error with Multiples Drives on a SCSI
Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Resolving Media-Related Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Before Contacting Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Tape Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
SCSI Bus Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Operating System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Backup Application Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Diagnostic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

JUNE 2005 MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) vii
6Servicing the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Upgrading Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Updating Firmware Over the SCSI Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Updating the Firmware with an FMR Data Cartridge . . . . . . . . 48
Returning the Tape Drive for Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
7Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Tape Drive Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Size and Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Power Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Environmental Conditions for the Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Safety and Regulatory Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
AErrors Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
BPerforming Diagnostics and Maintenance Functions . 61
Setting the Tape Drive to Maintenance Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Function Code 0 — Exiting Maintenance Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Function Code 1 — Run Drive Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Function Code 2 — Update Drive Firmware from FMR Tape . . . . 65
Function Code 3 — Create FMR Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Function Code 4 — Force a Drive Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Function Code 5 — Copy Drive Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Function Code 8 — Unmake FMR Tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Function Code 9 — Display Error Code Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Function Code A — Clear Error Code Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Function Code C — Insert Cartridge into Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Function Code E — Test Cartridge & Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Function Code F — Write Performance Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Function Code H — Test Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Function Code J —Run Fast Read/Write Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Function Code L — Load/Unload Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Function Code P or U — Enable or Disable POST Error Reporting 76
CTape Alert Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

viii PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
DWrite Once, Read Many (WORM) Capability . . . . . . . 81
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
WORM Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Data Security on WORM Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
WORM Media Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
TapeAlert Flags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Error Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

JUNE 2005 MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) ix
Figures
1Magnum Tape Drive (LTO-3) Features
Figure 1-1 Front-panel components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Figure 1-2 Back-panel components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2Installing the Tape Drive
Figure 2-1 Back-panel components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 2-2 Tape drive is last or only device on the SCSI bus . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 2-3 Another peripheral is the last device on SCSI bus . . . . . . . . . . 11
3Operating the Tape Drive
Figure 3-1 Front-panel components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 3-2 Inserting a cartridge into the tape drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4Ultrium Media
Figure 4-1 LTO Ultrium data cartridge components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 4-2 Setting the write-protect switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 4-3 Inspect the cartridge seams for gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 4-4 Leader pin in the incorrect and correct positions . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Figure 4-5 Placing a dislodged leader pin into the correct position . . . . . . 30
Figure 4-6 Rewinding the tape into the cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Figure 4-7 Leader pin reattachment kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Figure 4-8 Attaching the leader pin tool to the cartridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Figure 4-9 Winding the tape out of the cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Figure 4-10 Removing the C-clip from the leader pin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Figure 4-11 Attaching the leader pin to the tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5Troubleshooting
Figure 5-1 Flow chart for analyzing tape drive problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
DWrite Once, Read Many (WORM) Capability
Figure D-1 Ultrium 3 WORM Tape Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

xPRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
NOTES

JUNE 2005 MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) xi
Tables
3Operating the Tape Drive
Table 3-1 Meaning of Status LED and Single-character Display (SCD) . . 15
4Ultrium Media
Table 4-1 Cartridge and format compatibility for LTO Ultrium
tape drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Table 4-2 Data capacities in gigabytes (GB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Table 4-3 Environment for operating, storing, and shipping the
LTO Ultrium data cartridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
7Specifications
Table 7-1 Tape drive performance specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Table 7-2 Size and weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Table 7-3 Power specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Table 7-4 Temperature and humidity specifications for the tape drive . . 53
AErrors Codes
Table A-1 Tape drive codes for error conditions and
informational messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
BPerforming Diagnostics and Maintenance Functions
Table B-1 Diagnostic and maintenance functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
CTape Alert Flags
Table C-1 TapeAlert flags supported by the tape drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
DWrite Once, Read Many (WORM) Capability
Table D-1 WORM tape cartridge specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Table D-2 TapeAlert flags associated with the WORM media . . . . . . . . . 83
Table D-3 ASC/ASCQ error codes for a Medium Error (SK 3) with
WORM media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Table D-4 ASC/ASCQ error codes for a Data Protect error (SK 7) with
WORM media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

xii PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
NOTES

JUNE 2005 EXABYTE MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) xiii
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
This manual describes how to install, operate, and maintain the Magnum Tape
Drive (LTO-3). It also provides functional, performance, and environmental
specifications.
WHERE TO LOOK FOR INFORMATION
Installation
If you are installing the tape drive for the first time, refer to the following
chapters:
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the tape drive’s features and
components.
Chapter 2 provides instructions for installing the tape drive, connecting it to
the host computer, and powering it on.
Operation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and service
Refer to these chapters for information about operating, maintaining, and
troubleshooting your tape drive:
Chapter 3 provides instructions for using the tape drive, including reading
the single-character display and the status LED, loading and unloading
cartridges, and cleaning the tape drive.
Chapter 4 describes the types of tape cartridges to use and defines the
conditions for storing and shipping them. It also describes how to handle
the cartridges, how to set a cartridge’s write-protect switch, and guidelines
for using bar code labels.
Chapter 5 provides troubleshooting recommendations.
Chapter 6 provides information about service and maintenance for the tape
drive, including returning it for service, upgrading firmware, and obtaining
a diagnostic listing.
Appendix A describes the error and informational codes that appear on the
single-character display.
Appendix B provides instructions for using the tape drive’s diagnostic and
maintenance functions to identify and correct problems.
Appendix C provides a complete list of the TapeAlert flags supported by the
tape drive. The TapeAlert flags may aid during problem determination.
Chapter D provides information about the new Write Once, Read Many
(WORM) capability of the LTO-3 tape drive.

xiv PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Specifications, standards, and terms
These chapters are for engineering, purchasing, or marketing personnel who
want to evaluate the tape drive to determine the feasibility of integrating it
into their product lines.
Chapter 7 provides specifications for the tape drive, including performance,
reliability, power, and environmental specifications. This chapter also
provides safety and regulatory agency standards compliance information.
The Glossary provides definitions of terms used in this manual and in other
documentation associated with the tape drive.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
For more information about the tape drive and the standards used by the tape
drive, refer to the following publications. To order an Exabyte publication, see
“Contacting Exabyte” on page iv. To download a PDF version of an Exabyte
publication, visit the Exabyte web site (www.exabyte.com).
IBM Ultrium LTO-3 Publications
Note: See the IBM web site at www.ibm.com/servers/storage/support/lto/ltooem/
to locate additional information about IBM LTO Ultrium tape drives.
Standards Publications
These publications are available on the web at www.t10.org.
SCSI Parallel Interface-3 (SPI-3), International Committee on Information
Technology Standards (INCITS)
SCSI-3 Stream Commands (SSC), American National Standards Institute
(ANSI)
SCSI Stream Commands-2 (SSC-2), ANSI
SCSI Primary Commands-2 (SPC-2), ANSI
SCSI Primary Commands-3 (SPC-3), ANSI

JUNE 2005 EXABYTE MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) xv
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
CONVENTIONS USED IN THIS MANUAL
This manual uses the following conventions:
Note: Notes provide additional information or suggestions about the topic or
procedure being discussed.
! Important Read information marked by the “Important” icon for information
that will help you complete a procedure, avoid extra steps, or
avoid future problems.
Caution Read the information marked by the “CAUTION” icon for information you must
know to avoid damaging the tape drive or losing data.
Warning Read text marked by the “WARNING” icon for information you must know to
avoid personal injury.

xvi PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Notes

JUNE 2005 EXABYTE MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) 1
1
MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3)
FEATURES
The Exabyte Magnum Tape Drive (LTO-3) offers high-capacity, performance,
and technology designed for the midrange open systems environment. This
new model incorporates the new Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Generation 3 tape
drive, which more than doubles maximum tape drive performance over the
Generation 2 LTO Ultrium Tape Drive (Ultrium 2). The tape drive is the
third-generation tape drive in the Ultrium series of products. It is available
with a SCSI Ultra160 LVD Interface for connection to a wide spectrum of open
system servers.
The tape drive offers a formatted cartridge capacity of up to 400 GB (800 GB
assuming 2:1 compression ratio) and a sustained data transfer rate of 80 MB
per second (160 MB per second assuming 2:1 compression ratio).
Features of the Magnum Tape Drive (LTO-3) include:
Burst data transfer rate of 160 MB per second.
Larger internal buffer (the size has been doubled over the Ultrium 2 to
128 MB.

2PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
CHAPTER 1 — MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) FEATURES
On-the-fly error correction of soft errors in the memory arrays in data and
control paths.
New dual stage 16 channel head activator for precision head alignment to
help support higher track density with improved data integrity and
backwards compatibility with previous LTO generation.
Graceful dynamic braking designed to maintain tension until the tape
comes to a complete stop, to help prevent stretching or breaking the tape,
and loose tape wraps
New independent tape loader and threader motors designed to help with
cartridge insertion in the tape drive.
Highly integrated electronics designed to reduced the total number of
components in the drive, lower chip temperatures, and reduce power
requirements, helping to provide for a more reliable drive.
COMPONENTS
This section describes the major components of the tape drive.
FRONT PANEL COMPONENTS
Figure 1-1 shows the controls and indicators on the front panel of the tape
drive. For more information about using these controls and indicators, see
Chapter 3.
Figure 1-1 Front-panel components
Status LED
Unload button (blue)
Cartridge door
Single-character
display (SCD)
On/Off
switch (black)
Power
indicator

JUNE 2005 EXABYTE MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) 3
COMPONENTS
Cartridge Door Used for inserting the cartridge into the tape drive.
Single-character Display Provides a single-character code for error
conditions and informational messages. It also provides codes for Diagnostic
or maintenance functions. These codes are described in Ta b l e A - 1 o n p a g e 5 6 .
A red dot appears in the corner of the display when a drive dump is available
(see “Performing Diagnostics and Maintenance Functions” on page 61 for
more information).
Status LED (Light Emitting Diode) Indicates the current operating status
information, which is described in Ta b le 3 - 1 o n p a ge 1 5 .
Unload Button Used to unload the tape and eject the cartridge.
On/Off Switch Used to turn power on and off.
Power Indicator Shows the power-on status of the tape drive.
BACK PANEL COMPONENTS
Figure 1-2 shows the back-panel components of the of the tape drive.
On/Off Switch Used to turn power on and off.
AC Power Connector Used to provide power through a grounded AC power
connector. A power cord is included with the tape drive.
SCSI Connectors Used to connect the tape drive to the SCSI bus with two
SCSI cables or one SCSI cable and a terminator. These connectors are 68-pin,
wide, Ultra160 LVD connectors.
SCSI ID Switch Used to set the tape drive SCSI ID.
Figure 1-2 Back-panel components
AC power
connector SCSI
connectors
SCSI
ID switch

4PRODUCT MANUAL 1014548
CHAPTER 1 — MAGNUM TAPE DRIVE (LTO-3) FEATURES
Notes