Exabyte VXA-1 User manual

1009146-001
VXA-1 TAPE DRIVE
PRODUCT MANUAL

ii PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
COPYRIGHT Copyright 2003 - 2004 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 respectto 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, Exapak, VXA, and VXAtape are registered trademarks; M2, MammothTape,
SmartClean, EZ17 and NetStorM are trademarks; People Working for You and
SupportSuite are service marks of Exabyte Corp. All other product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
PART NUMBER
REVISION HISTORY
1009146-001
NOTE:The most current information about this product is available at Exabyte’s web site
(www.exabyte.com).
Revision Date Description
000 January 2003 Initial release. Includes all product information from
Ecrix numbers: 125.00006 (LVD-SCSI) and 125.00059
(FireWire).
Updated for Exabyte information, updated
specifications; reorganized.
001 February 2004 Minor updates.

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 iii
PRODUCT
WARRANTY
CAUTION
The Exabyte VXA-1 tape drive 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:
4Physical abuse or use not consistent with the operating instructions or product
specifications.
4Use of any type of data cartridge other than an Exabyte VXAtape or an
Exabyte-approved VXAtape cartridge.
4Use of any type of cleaning material other than an Exabyte VXAtape Cleaning
Cartridge.
4Repair or modification by any one other than Exabyte’s personnel or agent in a
manner differing from the maintenance instructions provided by Exabyte.
4Removal of the Exabyte identification label(s).
4Physical 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.
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 1009146
CONTACTING
EXABYTE
NOTE:If it is more convenient to your location, contact Exabyte Technical Support in
Europe at the following numbers:
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
To obtain general information
Exabyte Corporate
Headquarters
Exabyte Corporation
2108 55th Street
Boulder, CO USA 80301
[phone]
To obtain technical support
Exabyte Technical Support 1-303-417-7792
1-303-417-7190 (fax)
World Wide Web www.exabyte.com
To order supplies and accessories
Exabyte Sales Support 1-800-774-7172
1-800-392-8273 (Exabyte Media)
To return equipment for service
Exabyte Service 1-303-417-7791 (US)
Teleplan-800-673-5719 (Canada)
1-303-417-7199 (fax)

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 v
Contents
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
1
11
1VXA-1 Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Drive Models and Interfaces ............................................................... 1
Components....................................................................................... 2
Front Panel Components............................................................. 2
Back Panel Components – Internal Drive .................................... 3
Back Panel Components – External Drive.................................... 4
Drive Labels................................................................................ 6
2
22
2Installation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Unpacking the Tape Drive.................................................................. 7
Installing the Tape Drive ..................................................................... 7
Installing the Internal SCSI Tape Drive......................................... 8
Installing the Internal IDE/ATAPI Tape Drive.............................. 13
Installing the External SCSI Tape Drive ...................................... 17
Installing the External FireWire Tape Drive ................................ 19
Integrating the Tape Drive ................................................................ 21
3
33
3Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Monitoring the LEDs......................................................................... 24
Using VXAtape Cartridges ................................................................. 26
Setting the Write-Protect Switch................................................ 26
Loading a Cartridge................................................................... 26
Unloading a Cartridge ............................................................... 26
Cartridge Storage Guidelines ..................................................... 27
Cleaning the Tape Drive ................................................................... 27
Determining When to Clean the Tape Drive ............................. 27
Using a Cleaning Cartridge ........................................................ 28
Resetting the Tape Drive................................................................... 28

vi PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
4
44
4Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Problems and Solutions.....................................................................29
Tape Drive Will Not Accept a Cartridge ..................................... 29
LED 4 is Orange ........................................................................ 30
Tape Drive Will Not Eject a Cartridge ........................................ 30
The Operating System or Application Software Does Not
“See” the Tape Drive ........................................................... 31
A Service Notification LED Code Appears .................................. 32
Backup Software is Reporting an Error ....................................... 33
Troubleshooting with VXATool..........................................................33
5
55
5Service and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Returning the Tape Drive for Service.................................................35
Upgrading Firmware .........................................................................36
Obtaining a Diagnostic Listing ...........................................................36
6
66
6Overview of the Command Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Communication Interface versus Command Protocol ........................37
SCSI Command Protocol...................................................................38
Command Set ........................................................................... 38
Status Bytes ............................................................................... 40
Sense Keys................................................................................. 40
7
77
7Overview of the Communication Interface . . . . . . . . . . 43
Communication Interface Management ............................................43
SCSI Message system ................................................................. 44
ATA Commands ........................................................................ 45
SCSI Interface Requirements .............................................................47
Internal Model........................................................................... 47
External Drive............................................................................ 50
IDE/ATAPI Interface Cable and Connector Requirements ..................51
FireWire Interface Cable and Connector Requirements .....................53

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 vii
8
88
8Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Data Capacities ................................................................................ 55
Performance Specifications............................................................... 56
Data Transfer Rates ................................................................... 56
Read and Write Specifications................................................... 56
Tape Speed and Access time..................................................... 57
Reliability Specifications ................................................................... 57
Size and Weight ............................................................................... 58
Power Specifications......................................................................... 59
Internal Drive............................................................................ 59
External Drive ........................................................................... 61
Acoustic Noise.................................................................................. 61
Environmental Specifications ............................................................ 62
Environmental Conditions for the Tape Drive ............................ 62
Environmental Conditions for the VXAtape Cartridges ............... 66
Packaging and Shipping Specifications .............................................. 67
Shipping Cartons....................................................................... 67
Packaging Materials................................................................... 68
Safety and Regulatory Compliance.................................................... 68
Underwriters Laboratory ........................................................... 68
TUV Product Service................................................................. 69
United States: FCC Declaration of Conformity........................... 69
Canadian Verification................................................................ 69
European Community ............................................................... 70
Japan ........................................................................................ 70
Australia and New Zealand ....................................................... 70
Taiwan...................................................................................... 70
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

viii PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
Notes

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 ix
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
This manual describes how to install, operate, and maintain the VXA™-1 tape
drive. It also provides functional, performance, and environmental specifications.
ORGANIZATION
The information in this manual is organized into chapters that allow you to
quickly locate the information you need.
First-time installation
If you are installing the tape drive for the first time, refer to the following
chapters:
4Chapter 1 provides an overview of the tape drive’s features and components.
4Chapter 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:
4Chapter 3 to learn how to load cartridges, clean the tape drive, and read the
LEDs.
4Chapter 4 provides troubleshooting recommendations.
4Chapter 5 provides information about service and maintenance for the tape
drive, including returning it for service, upgrading firmware, and obtaining
a diagnostic listing.
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.
4Chapter 6 provides an overview of the SCSI command protocol supported
by the tape drive.
4Chapter 7 describes the communication interface specifications for the tape
drive, including cable and connector requirements for the LVD SCSI,
ATAPI/IDE, and FireWire interfaces.
4Chapter 8 provides specifications for the tape drive, including performance,
reliability, power, and environmental specifications. This chapter also
provides safety and regulatory agency standards compliance information.
4The Glossary provides definitions of terms used in this book.

xPRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
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).
Note: The VXA-1 publications are included as PDF files on the CD that
accompanies your tape drive.
VXA-1 Publications
4VXA-1 SCSI Tape Drive Quick Start, 1009338
4VXA-1 FireWire Tape Drive Quick Start, 1009456
4VXA-1 IDE/ATAPI Tape Drive Quick Start, 1011383
4VXA-1 RakPak Product Manual, 1011532
4VXA-1 SCSI Reference Manual, 125.00086
4VXA-1 IDE/ATAPI Reference, 125.00087
Standards Publications
4ANSI Small Computer System Interface (SCSI-2), X3.131-1994
4ANSI Helical-Scan Digital Computer Tape Cartridge, X3B5/89-136, Rev. 6
4Standard ECMA-316 8mm Wide Magnetic Tape Cartridge for Information
Interchange—Helical Scan Recording—VXA-1 Format, December 2000
4ANSI SCSI-3 Fast20 Parallel Interface (Fast-20), X3.277 – 1996
4ANSI SCSI Parallel Interface-2 (SPI-2), X3T10/1142D, Rev. 11
4Information Technology—Serial Bus Protocol 2 (SBP-2), ANSI NCITS 325:1998
4ANSI Small Computer System Interface (SCSI-2), X3.131-1994
4Information Technology—Serial Bus Protocol 2 (SBP-2), ANSI NCITS 325:1998
4Information Technology AT Attachment with Packet Interface – 5 (ATA/ATAPI-5),
T13 1321D
4ATA Packet Interface for CD-ROMs, SFF-8020i, revision 2.6
4IEEE Standard for a High Performance Serial Bus, IEEE 1394a-1995
4Information Technology—Microprocessor Systems—IEEE Standard Control and
Status Register (CSR) Architecture for Microcomputer Buses, ISO/IEC 13213:1994
4IEEE Standard for a High Performance Serial Bus, IEEE 1394a-1995
4Information Technology—Microprocessor Systems—IEEE Standard Control and
Status Register (CSR) Architecture for Microcomputer Buses, ISO/IEC 13213:1994

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 xi
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.
Tip Read information marked by the “Tip” icon for information that will help
you complete a procedure or avoid extra steps.
Important Read information marked by the “Important” icon for information
that will help you 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.

xii PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
Notes

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 1
1
VXA-1 FEATURES
This chapter describes the VXA-1 tape drive features and components. The
VXA-1 tape drive is designed for the storage and management of
enterprise-wide, mission-critical data. The VXA-1 tape drive is capable of
storing 33 gigabytes (GB) of native data on a 170-meter VXAtape and can
transfer data at a sustained rate of 3 megabytes (MB) per second (native).
DRIVE MODELS AND INTERFACES
For simple and convenient system integration, the VXA-1 tape drive is
available in external and internal models. The internal VXA-1 complies with
industry standard 5.25-inch half-high form factor mounting requirements and
can be mounted horizontally or vertically. The external standalone model is
housed in an enclosure that allows the device to be placed horizontally or
vertically on a flat surface. External models can also be stacked. Neither model
can be installed upside down.
The internal model of the VXA-1 tape drive is available with either a wide,
Ultra2 SCSI low-voltage differential (LVD) interface or an IDE/ATAPI
interface. The external model of the tape drive is available with either a wide,
Ultra2 SCSI low-voltage differential (LVD) interface or a FireWire interface.
Figure 1-1 VXA-1 tape drives (internal and external models)
VXA-1 internal model VXA-1 external model

2PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
Chapter 1VXA-1 FEATURES
COMPONENTS
This section describes the major components of the tape drive.
FRONT PANEL COMPONENTS
Figure 1-2 and Figure 1-3 show the controls and indicators on the front panel
of the tape drive. For more information about using these controls and
indicators, see Chapter 3.
Door Used for inserting the cartridge into the tape drive.
Eject Button Used to unload the tape and eject the cartridge.
Status LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) Show status information, which is
described in “Monitoring the LEDs” on page 24.
Power LED Shows the power-on status of the external tape drive.
Figure 1-2 Internal drive: front-panel components
Figure 1-3 External drive: front-panel components
Door
123 4
Status LEDs Eject button
Status LEDs
123 4
Eject button
Door
Power LED

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 3
COMPONENTS
BACK PANEL COMPONENTS – INTERNAL DRIVE
Figure 1-4 shows the back panel components of the internal SCSI
drive.Figure 1-5 shows the back panel components of the internal IDE/ATAPI
drive. For more information about using these components during
installation, see Chapter 2.
Auxiliary Connector Used for tape drive diagnostics and to enable SCSI term
power (see page 9).
SCSI Connector (SCSI model only) Used to connect the tape drive to the SCSI
bus. This is a standard 68-pin wide, Ultra2 SCSI LVD connector. (See Ta b l e 7 - 4
for pin assignments.)
SCSI ID Jumper Block (SCSI model only) Used to set the SCSI ID.
Figure 1-4 Internal SCSI drive: back-panel components
Figure 1-5 Internal IDE/ATAPI drive: back-panel components
SCSI Grounding
Grounding RF service Power
SCSI ID
Auxiliary
connector connector tab
hole connector connector
jumper block
IDE/ATAPI Grounding
Grounding RF service Power
Auxiliary
connector connector tab
hole connector connector
IDE/ATAPI configuration
jumper block

4PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
Chapter 1VXA-1 FEATURES
IDE/ATAPI Connector (IDE/ATAPI model only) Used to connect the tape
drive to the IDE bus. This is a standard 40-pin connector for use with a 40-pin,
80-conductor Ultra-DMA IDE/ATA cable. (See Ta b l e 7 - 7 for pin assignments.)
IDE/ATAPI Configuration Jumper Block (IDE/ATAPI model only) Used to
configure the tape drive to operate as the master or slave on the IDE bus or to
use Cable Select to determine the master/slave configuration (the default).
Grounding Tab and Hole Used to provide additional chassis grounding. (The
mounting screws also provide grounding for the tape drive.)
RF Service Connector Used for Exabyte Service only.
Power Connector Used to connect a power cable from the enclosure’s power
supply. This is a 4-pin connector. (See Ta b l e 8 - 7 for pin assignments.)
BACK PANEL COMPONENTS – EXTERNAL DRIVE
Figure 1-6 shows the back-panel components of the external SCSI model of the
tape drive. Figure 1-7 shows the back-panel components of the external
FireWire model of the tape drive
Figure 1-6 External SCSI drive: back-panel components
AC power
connector
Serial
connector
SCSI
connectors
On/off
switch
SCSI
ID switch

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 5
COMPONENTS
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.
Serial Connector Used to connect the tape drive to the serial port of a
computer for performing diagnostic operations with VXATool (see page 33).
SCSI Connectors (SCSI tape drive only) 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, Ultra2 LVD connectors.
SCSI ID Switch (SCSI tape drive only) Used to set the SCSI ID.
FireWire Connector (FireWire tape drive only) Used to connect the tape
drive to the host system FireWire controller.
Figure 1-7 External FireWire drive: back-panel components
AC power
connector
Serial
connector
On/off
switch
FireWire
connector

6PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
Chapter 1VXA-1 FEATURES
DRIVE LABELS
The VXA-1 tape drive includes three labels that show the tape drive’s
connector type, agency information, part number, serial number, and revision
(see Figure 1-8, Figure 1-9, and Figure 1-10 for examples). Depending on the
model tape drive you have, the labels on your tape drive may differ.
Caution Do not remove or modify these labels. If you do so, you will void the product
warranty.
Figure 1-8 Back-panel label (SCSI tape drive shown)
Figure 1-9 Agency label (bottom of drive)
Figure 1-10 Part number, serial number, and revision number label (bottom of
drive)
SERIAL
PORTS
TERM PWR
ENABLE
AB
PIN 1
SCSI ID
8421
SCSI LVD SE
Bauart
gepruft
Exabyte Corporation
5/12V 1. 4 / 0 . 2 A
PRODUCT OF JAPAN
C
E134993
R
US
MODEL NO. VXA 1i

FEBRUARY 2004 VXA-1 7
2
INSTALLATION
This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for installing the internal and
external models of the VXA-1 tape drive. The information in this chapter
expands on the instructions in the Quick Start guide that accompanied your
tape drive.
UNPACKING THE TAPE DRIVE
All Exabyte tape drives are tested, inspected, and carefully packaged at the
factory. However, because shipping damage can occur, you should follow the
steps below to unpack the tape drive:
1.
1.1.
1. Visually inspect the shipping container and notify your freight carrier
immediately if you see any damage.
2.
2.2.
2. Place the shipping container on a flat, clean, stable surface. If parts are
missing or the equipment is damaged, notify your supplier or Exabyte.
3.
3.3.
3. Save the original shipping container and packaging materials in case you
need to reship the tape drive.
INSTALLING THE TAPE DRIVE
The installation instructions for your tape drive depend on what model you
have:
4To install the internal LVD SCSI model of the tape drive, read “Installing the
Internal SCSI Tape Drive,” beginning on page 8.
4To install the internal IDE/ATAPI model of the tape drive, read “Installing
the Internal IDE/ATAPI Tape Drive,” beginning on page 13.
4To install the external LVD SCSI model of the tape drive, read “Installing the
External SCSI Tape Drive,” beginning on page 17.
4To install the external FireWire model of the tape drive, read “Installing the
External FireWire Tape Drive,” beginning on page 19.

8PRODUCT MANUAL 1009146
Chapter 2INSTALLATION
INSTALLING THE INTERNAL SCSI TAPE DRIVE
The internal tape drive complies with industry-standard, 5.25-inch half-high
form factor mounting requirements and can be mounted either horizontally or
vertically, but not upside down.
When installing the tape drive, refer to Figure 2-1 for the location of the
back-panel components on the SCSI tape drive.
Before You Begin
Before you begin hardware installation, do the following:
4Select your application software — To obtain information about which
software applications work with the tape drive, visit Exabyte’s web site
(www.exabyte.com). You can install the software application on the host
computer before or after you install the tape drive. However, if you install
the software first, you may need to reconfigure it for use with the tape drive.
4Install the SCSI host bus adapter card — Make certain the SCSI host bus
adapter card installed in the host computer is LVD and compatible with the
tape drive. Exabyte does not recommend connecting the tape drive to a RAID
controller.
4Protect the work area from ESD — Touch a known grounded surface to
discharge static electricity from your body and ensure that the work area is
free from conditions that could cause ESD.
Figure 2-1 Internal SCSI drive: back-panel components
SCSI Grounding
Grounding Power
SCSI ID
Auxiliary
connector connector tab
hole connector
jumper block
Important To avoid SCSI bus hangs, do not connect the tape drive to an HVD
SCSI bus. To avoid performance problems, do not connect the
tape drive to a single-ended SCSI bus.