Combining expertise in drive and media technologies
The collaborative efforts of StorageTek and
Imation in the development of 9840 technology
represent the integration of world-leading
drive and media design. The combination
of StorageTek drive and library expertise
with proven Imation media and cartridge solu-
tions have allowed 9840 technology to success-
fully deliver faster access to data
and optimized throughput.
Speed
•Access times are decreased to 12 seconds
due to the dual hub, mid-point load design.
As soon as the cartridge is loaded into the
drive and locked into position, the drive
immediately engages into search mode
eliminating any thread-up time.
•The tape rides on a cushion of air that
virtually eliminates friction between the
tape and guides, enabling the fastest search
speeds of any tape storage system. Less
friction also reduces the amount of debris
generated, therefore minimizing data errors.
Performance
•9840 is the only half-inch tape cartridge
to contain a baseplate. This aluminum
baseplate enhances cartridge stability and
enables precise alignment between head and
tape to ensure reliable data reading/writing.
•9840 cartridges are designed to protect
against damage due to impact such as
when a cartridge is dropped. The dual reel
is center parked, dividing the weight of the
tape between the two reels. This means
that each hub absorbs half of the force of
impact—twice that of a single hub design.
The cartridge shell also contains tiny plastic
“crush pads” to absorb some of the impact
if the tape is dropped.
•Common form factor fits most existing
half-inch tape and automated libraries
providing added protection for drive
investments.
Reliability
•Advanced servo writing techniques enable
288 data tracks to be written across the
half-inch wide tape. If the data track of 3480
tape was a forty-foot-wide highway, the 9840
data track would be a mere three-foot-wide
sidewalk. The tape coating on the 9840
cartridge is so advanced that it allows
greater amounts of information to be stored
on smaller areas of tape, with increased
reliability and data accuracy.
The future of enterprise data
management is here
With today’s ever increasing volumes of data,
organizations large and small are facing the
challenge of how to successfully manage the
data that is so critical to success.
Revolutionary Technology Plus
Manufacturing Expertise
The Imation 9840 tape cartridge features
a completely internal tape path design,
based on the proven 3480-based form factor
and featuring cutting-edge technological devel-
opments. Drawing on nearly 50 years
of Imation’s expertise in half-inch tape manu-
facturing, the 9840 cartridge is in the enviable
position of combining ‘the best
of the best’ in leading edge innovations, includ-
ing:
•Servo Writing Expertise – enables precise
read/write performance for improved
reliability. Imation developed the world’s first
servo written cartridge and continues to lead
servo writing developments.
•Internal Tape Path – improves data integrity
and access time by managing the tape
movements completely within the cartridge.
Precise tape gliding adjusts tape motion
without edge damage. Internal 18"tape path
allows tape instabilities to be adjusted prior
to reaching the drive head for read/write
accuracy.
•Proprietary Backcoating – dissipates static
and minimizes tape compression caused by
wound-in debris.
•Unique Aluminum Baseplate – enhances
cartridge stability and enables precision
alignment between head and tape for precise
data reading/writing.
•World Class Tooling and Manufacturing
Processes – Imation’s leading-edge injection
molding group at our Wahpeton, North
Dakota, manufacturing facility—an Industry
Week 2001 “Best Plants” Award Winner— utilizes
state-of-the-art molding software and systems
to produce cartridge components, such as the
ultra-flat surface precision tape spools
found within the 9840 cartridge.
Imation
9840 Half-Inch Tape Cartridge
High capacity, fast access, added security
The 9840 VolSafe™20 GB Cartridge
Some companies need technology that delivers
reliable, secure Write-Once-Read-Many (WORM)
storage capabilities in a more robust way than
optical. Imation delivers just such a solution.
The 9840 VolSafe 20 GB Cartridge provides
non-erasable, non-rewritable, cost-effective
media for secure archival of critical data.
The 9840 VolSafe 20 GB Cartridge is compatible
with existing tape libraries, providing the nec-
essary flexibility for managing archived data.
Designed to be used with 9840 drives,
the 9840 VolSafe cartridge provides the high
performance and rapid access times of 9840
technology with the added security of VolSafe.
High capacity plus
T9940 Technology
Designed for data-intensive storage applica-
tions such as archiving, backup and disaster
recover, the 9940 system includes SCSI, ESCON
and Fibre Channel connectivity. With the ability
to coexist with other families of StorageTek
drives, the 9940 system means optimum flexi-
bility in managing multiple and existing appli-
cations. The proven performance of the 9840
access-centric platform led to the development
of the 9940 capacity-centric system. The 9940
tape cartridge packs 60 GB (up to 240 GB com-
pressed) capacity into a single-reel, familiar
3480 form factor. For those who value capacity
plus performance, multiple connectivity
options and a low cost of ownership, 9940
capacity-centric technology
is the solution.