Seagate Technology STT8000 User manual

Seagate Technology
STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
Product Description Manual
July 1997
Part Number 10002475-003
Stocking Number 601-087

FCC Notice
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed
and used properly—that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions—may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has
been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing
device in accordance with the specifications in Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are
designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a
residential installation. However, there is no guarantee 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 on and off, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by
one or more of the following measures:
z
Reorient the receiving antenna.
z
Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver.
z
Move the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and receiver
are on different branch circuits.
If necessary, you should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television
technician for additional suggestions. You may find the following booklet
prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful:
How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems
This booklet (Stock No. 004-000-00345-4) is available from the U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
Warning: Changes or modifications made to this equipment which have not
been expressly approved by Seagate Technology may cause radio and television
interference problems that could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Further, this equipment complies with the limits for a Class B digital apparatus
in accordance with Canadian Radio Interference Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme au Règlement sur brouillage
radioélectrique, C. R. C., ch. 1374.
Seagate and the Seagate logo are registered trademarks of Seagate Technology.
All other trademarks mentioned in this manual are the property of their
respective owners.
Copyright 1996, Seagate Technology
All rights reserved.
Document No. 10002475-003
Stocking No. 601-087

Important Information About This Manual
All information contained in or disclosed by this document is considered
proprietary by Seagate Technology. By accepting this material, the recipient
agrees that this material and the information contained therein are held in
confidence and in trust and will not be used, reproduced in whole or in part, nor
its contents revealed to others, except to meet the purpose for which it was
delivered. It is understood that no right is conveyed to reproduce or translate
any item herein disclosed without express written permission from Seagate
Technology.
Seagate Technology provides this manual "as is," without warranty of any kind,
either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied
warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Seagate
Technology reserves the right to change, without notification, the specifications
contained in this manual.
Seagate Technology assumes no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness,
sufficiency, or usefulness of this manual, nor for any problem that might arise
from the use of the information in this manual.

Product Description Manual Page v
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 1
Overview 1
Features 3
Typical System Configurations 4
Minicartridge Technology Overview 4
Flash EEPROM 5
Software 5
References 6
About This Manual 6
2 Specifications 7
Overview 7
Physical Specifications 7
Power Specifications 9
Drive Performance Specifications 10
Environmental Requirements 11
Recommended Tapes 11
Tape Capacities and Formats 12
Regulatory Compliance 12
3 Installation 13
Introduction 13
Before You Begin 13
Check the Package Contents 13
Guidelines 14
Installation Summary (Default) 14
Installing the Seagate IDE Adapter Card 15
Installing the Drive Unit 17
Custom Installation with the Seagate IDE
Adapter Card 23
Configuring the Seagate IDE Adapter Card 24
4 Drive Operations 27
Introduction 27
Front Panel LED Operation 27
Using Cartridges 28
Loading and Unloading Tape Cartridges 28
Setting the Write-Protect Switch 29
Loading Revised Firmware via Seagate Firmware
Cartridge 30

Table of Contents
Page vi STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
5 ATAPI Interface 33
Introduction 33
ATA-2 Interface 33
ATA-2 Signals 33
ATA Registers 34
Supported ATA Commands 36
ATAPI Interface 39
6 Tape Format 55
Introduction 55
Tape Partitioning 55
Track Positions 55
Track Numbering 56
Track Format 56
Frames 56
Blocks 58
Tape Reference Servo Pattern 58
Write Equalization 59
Randomization 59
7 Theory of Operations 61
Overview 61
Block Diagrams 61
Understanding the Drive 61
Mechanics 63
Cartridge Load Mechanism 63
Capstan Drive Motor Assembly 63
Chassis 63
Control Circuits 63
Head Design 64
Flash EEPROM 64
Sensors and Switches 64
Media—Minicartridges 65
8 Maintenance, Troubleshooting, and
Reliability 67
Maintenance 67
Caring for Tape Cartridges 67
Cleaning the Drive Read/Write Head 67
Troubleshooting 68
Reliability 70
Mean-Time-Between Failures 70
Mean-Time-To-Repair 70

Table of Contents
Product Description Manual Page vii
A Glossary 71
B Acronyms and Measurements 75
Acronyms and Abbreviations 75
Measurements 76

Table of Contents
Page viii STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
NOTES

Product Description Manual Page 1
Introduction
Overview
The Seagate STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive extends the Seagate family of
one-inch high, DC2000 drives that feature high performance, high reliability,
and quiet operation. The drive transfers data at up to 36 megabytes per minute
(MB/min) without compression. With optimal system resources and
compressible data structures, nominal transfer rates of 60 MB/min can be
observed using software data compression (assumes 2:1 compression ratio).
The system optimizations include but are not limited to
z
Allocating the maximum amount of the base 640 KB memory available
z
Using a memory manager program
Note: During backup tasks, screen savers can have a negative affect on
transfer rates.
Data compression is available within the Seagate Backup software package for
DOS and Windows and typically provides for a 2:1 compression ratio. The
compression ratio is dependent on the specific system and the nature of the files
being compressed.
This drive optimizes throughput through the Seagate feature FastSenseTM. This
feature enables the drive to automatically sense the fastest supportable data
transfer rate of the host system and choose a transfer speed of either 600, 450,
or 300 kilobytes/second (KB/sec). This process maximizes system throughput by
eliminating tape repositioning, which is typically required when the tape drive
operates faster than the host computer.
The product is available as an internal device in either a 3.5-inch or half-high
5.25-inch configuration. The drive form factors are tailored for easy installation
in today's computers.
The drive supports the QIC-3095 format standard and will provide 4 gigabytes
uncompressed storage capacity, 8 gigabytes compressed, with a Travan TR-4
cartridge.
The drive will also write and read tapes conforming to the QIC-3080 standard,
providing 1.6 and 2.0 gigabytes respectively on 400 foot minicartridges or 400
foot QIC-Wide cartridges.
A precision burst intelligent positioning system is used to achieve high track
densities.
1

Chapter 1 Introduction
Page 2 STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive conforms to the QIC-3095
development standard adopted by Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards Inc.
(QIC). The drive records in a serpentine fashion utilizing a 1,7 RLL (Run
Length Limited) data encoding method, and provides for 72 data tracks and one
(1) directory track on Travan TR-4 media.
The drive offers electronically erasable, programmable, read-only memory (flash
EEPROM), which enables qualified Seagate OEMs to download revised
firmware to the drive.
With the availability of greater capacity disk drives and the growth of small
networks, the need for cost-effective, high-capacity storage has grown. The
STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drives are ideal for high-end standalone
computers, workstations, and small networks.
Built using long-wearing materials and custom Large Scale Integration (LSI)
components, the ATAPI drive was engineered for heavy-duty computer
applications. Providing carefully controlled tape handling and rapid, smooth
operation, the design promotes long life for key components such as the motors,
drive heads, and the media itself. One major benefit of this new, computer
grade engineering is low power consumption.
Figure 1-1 illustrates the STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge internal drive. Figure
1-2 illustrates the internal drive equipped with rails.
Figure 1-1
STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Internal Drive

Introduction Chapter 1
Product Description Manual Page 3
Figure 1-2
STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Internal Drive with Rails
Features
The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive embodies Seagate 's commitment to
engineer reliable and durable tape drive products. In summary form, key
features of the drive are as follows:
z
Internal form factor for installation in a 5.25-inch half-high or 3.5-inch by
one-inch space
z
Capability to write and read Travan TR-4 (QIC-3095) media, as well as
minicartridge or QIC-Wide media conforming to the QIC-3080 standard
z
QIC-3095-MC tape format compliance for compatibility and information
interchange
z
Typical uncompressed capacities of 4 gigabytes on 740 foot TR-4 media; 2
gigabytes on 400 foot QIC-Wide media; 1.6 gigabytes on 400 foot quarter-
inch minicartridge media
z
Typical compressed capacities of 8 gigabytes on 740 foot TR-4 media; 4
gigabytes on 400 foot QIC-Wide media; 3.2 gigabytes on 400 foot quarter-
inch minicartridge media
z
Transfer rate optimized with FastSense—automatic selection of fastest
supportable data transfer rate (600, 450, or 300 KB/sec)
z
ATAPI interface that supports DMA and PIO modes 0, 1, or 2 with 512 KB
on-drive data buffer to facilitate the most efficient use of the host computer
and tape drive.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Page 4 STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
z
Uncorrectable error rate of less than 1 in 1015 bits
z
Flash EEPROM to enable electrically upgradeable drive firmware
z
Custom Seagate-designed LSI circuitry to reduce component count and
boost drive reliability
z
Low power consumption—less than 15.0 Watts (typical) for internal drives
Typical System Configurations
The Enhanced IDE standard supports up to four ATAPI peripherals: two
devices on the primary port and two devices on the secondary port. Of the two
devices, one must be slave to the other, which is the master. Figure 1-3 shows
sample configurations for ATAPI systems.
Figure 1-3
Sample ATAPI Configurations
COMPUTER
SYSTEM
HARD DISK
PRIMARY
IDE BUS
SECONDARY
IDE BUS
ENHANCED
IDE
CONTROLLER
COMPUTER
SYSTEM HARD DISK
STT8000
ENHANCED
IDE
CONTROLLER
CD-ROM
MASTER
STT8000
SLAVE
ACCULOGIC
IDE ADAPTER
Minicartridge Technology Overview
Having evolved from the original mass-storage medium—reel-to-reel, 1/2-inch
tape storage—the minicartridge technology of today offers fast, efficient, high-
capacity storage in a compact, easy-removable hard-shell package. In little
more than a decade, storage capacities have increased from some 60 megabytes
(MB) on 9 tracks (QIC-24, 1982) to the to the 8-GB capacity achievable with the
STT8000 minicartridge drive on a single Travan TR-4 cartridge.

Introduction Chapter 1
Product Description Manual Page 5
The streaming-tape intelligence in the STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive
provides a continuous tape motion with an uninterrupted, precisely coordinated
flow of data to and from the minicartridge. This "streaming" motion combined
with the "serpentine" recording method is one element that contributes to the
increased storage capacities, efficiency, and speed of today's minicartridge
technology.
Use of the "serpentine" recording method exploits the bidirectional capabilities
of the cartridge. With this method, the tape is not rewound at the end of a
track. Instead, the write-read heads are logically or mechanically switched to a
different position on the tape and another track is written or read in the reverse
direction. That is, the drive first records track 1 in one direction and when the
end of the tape is reached, the head is moved and the direction of tape motion is
reversed to record track 2. This serpentine process continues until the entire
tape is recorded. The individual tracks are sequential to minimize the amount
of head motion as the heads change position for each track.
Flash EEPROM
The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive incorporates leading-edge technology
in the flash EEPROM, which is useful should the drive's firmware need to be
upgraded at some point. With the permanently installed, electrically
upgradeable, flash EEPROM memory, revised firmware for the drive can be
loaded via any one of two methods:
z
Seagate OEM firmware cartridge (See chapter 4)
z
Host IDE bus
This feature enables qualified OEMs needing to revise the drive firmware to do
so rapidly and at a reduced cost. Flash EEPROM should also prolong the life
cycle of a drive because many new techniques—such as increasing the capacity
of the drive through support for longer tapes—may require only a firmware
upgrade.
Software
The STT-8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive is a cost-effective means of backing
up fixed disks. The drive is compatible with DOSTM version 5.0 or later,
Microsoft WindowsTM 3.1 or later, Microsoft Windows 95, or Windows NT and
will operate with many of the popular backup software applications such as
Seagate's Backup for DOS and Windows, Windows 95, Netware, or Windows
NT.

Chapter 1 Introduction
Page 6 STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
References
The following standards documents describe some of the technology
incorporated in the drives referenced in this manual.
z
QIC-170—Preformatted magnetic minicartridge
z
QIC-157—ATAPI command set for streaming tape
z
QIC-3095-MC—Serial recorded magnetic tape minicartridge
z
QIC-3080-MC—Serial recorded magnetic tape minicartridge
For more information about a particular QIC standard, contact Quarter-Inch
Cartridge Standards, Inc., c/o Freeman Associates, 311 East Carrillo Sreet,
Santa Barbara, California 93101.
About This Manual
The remaining chapters and the appendices in this manual are briefly described
in the following table. A glossary of terms is also included.
Number Title Description
2Specifications Contains physical, performance,
environmental, power, and
minicartridge specification tables.
3Installation Provides cautions, unpacking tips,
inspection information, and
installation/connection steps including
cabling requirements and connector
pinouts.
4Drive Operation Explains the simple operation of the
drive.
5ATAPI Interface Lists general information about the
interface.
6Tape Format Provides an overview of the QIC-3095
tape format.
7Theory of Operation Details the functional operation of
various assemblies of the ATAPI drive.
8Maintenance and
Reliability Presents maintenance procedures and reliability information.
Appendix A Glossary Defines key terms.
Appendix B Acronyms and
Measurements Lists the acronyms and measurements used in the manual.

Product Description Manual Page 7
Specifications
Overview
The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive provides exceptional reliability in
storing large amounts of computer data. This chapter includes the following
specifications and requirements:
z
Physical specifications
z
Power requirements
z
Drive performance specifications
z
Environmental requirements
z
Recommended tapes
z
Tape capacities and formats
z
Regulatory compliance
Physical Specifications
The physical specifications of the STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive are listed
in the following table.
Specification Drive for 3.5-
Inch Mount Drive for 5.25- Inch Mount
Height 1.0 in/ 25 mm 1.7 in/ 43 mm
Width 4.0 in/102 mm 5.87 in/149.1 mm
Length 6.2 in/157.5 mm 6.36 in/161.5 mm
Weight 1.0 lbs/0.5 kg 1.5 lbs/0.7 kg
Figures 2-1 and 2-2 illustrate the STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive for the
3.5-inch mount and for the 5.25-inch mount (with rails) showing the general
dimensions.
2

Chapter 2 Specifications
Page 8 STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
Figure 2-1
STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive (3.5-Inch mount) general
dimensions
6.19" (157.2mm) 4.00" (101.6mm)
4.00" (101.6mm)
DRIVE ACTIVE
(AMBER)
1.00"
(25.4mm)
0.157" (4mm)
Figure 2-2
STT8000 IDE minicartridge drive (5.25-Inch mount) general dimensions
1.685"
(42.8mm)
5.87"
(149.0mm)
0.20" (5.0mm)
0.86" (21.8mm)
5.76" (146.4mm)5.49" (139.4mm)
DRIVE ACTIVE
(GREEN)

Specifications Chapter 2
Product Description Manual Page 9
Power Specifications
The following table lists the power specifications for the STT8000 ATAPI
minicartridge drive. (Power specifications are measured at the tape drive power
connector and are nominal values.)
Specification Measurement
DC Voltage +12 VDC +5 VDC
Voltage Tolerance + or – 10% + or – 5%
Operational Current 2.0 amps 1.0 amp
Standby Current 0.2 amp 0.6 amp
Peak 2.2 amps max —
Power Sequence None None
Ripple (peak to peak) <= 100 mV <= 100 mV
Power use
(nominal) < 15 Watts
(excluding surge) < 15 Watts (excluding surge)
The following table lists pin assignments for the power connector for the drive.
Pin Assignment
1+12 VDC
2+12 return
3+5 return
4+5 VDC

Chapter 2 Specifications
Page 10 STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
Drive Performance Specifications
The following table lists the performance specifications for the STT8000 ATAPI
minicartridge drive.
Feature Specification
Capacity 4.0 gigabytes—900 Oe 740' Travan cartridge (uncompressed)
8.0 gigabytes—900 Oe 740' Travan cartridge (compressed)
Effective backup rate 30 MB/min typical native; 45 MB/min typical compressed
Data transfer rate 300/450/600 KB/second
FastSense
Tape speed
Read/Write
Search/Rewind 33, 51, or 77 ips
90 ips maximum
Recording method Serpentine
Recording format QIC-3095-MC
Recording code 1,7 RLL
Error recovery Reed Solomon ECC
Recording unrecoverable
errors Less than 1 in 1015 data bits
Head configuration Wide write/narrow read
Recording media 900 Oe 740' Travan TR-4
Cartridge size 3.2 in. x 2.4 in. x 0.4 in. (81 mm x 61 mm)
Data density 67,733 bpi
Tracks 72 data tracks, one (1) directory track
Synchronous transfer rate
(burst) 5 MByte/second maximum
Asynchronous transfer rate
(burst) 5 MByte/second maximum

Specifications Chapter 2
Product Description Manual Page 11
Environmental Requirements
The following table lists the environmental specifications for the STT8000
ATAPI minicartridge drive. The drive may be mounted either vertically or
horizontally.
Specification Operational Nonoperational
Temperature +41oto +113oF1
(+ 5oto + 45oC) –40oto +149oF2 (–40oto + 65oC)
Thermal gradient 1oC/minute
(no condensation) 20oC/hour
Relative humidity 20% to 80% noncondensing15% to 95%
noncondensing2
Maximum wet bulb temperature 78.8oF (26oC) No condensation
Altitude –1000 to +15,000 feet –1000 to +50,000 feet
Vibration
Peak to Peak
Displacement 0.005" max (5 to 44.3 Hz) 0.1" max (5 to 17 Hz)
Peak Acceleration 0.50 g max (44.3 to 500 Hz) 1.5 g max (17 to 500 Hz)
Acoustic level operational
(A-wt sum) 55 dBA maximum (measured in
suitable enclosure at 3-ft distance
and operator height)
—
Shock (1/2 sine wave) 2.5 g’s peak, 11 msec 100 g's peak, 11 msec
1Mechanism and media 2Mechanism
Recommended Tapes
The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive uses prewritten minicartridges. The
following cartridges are recommended:
Description Seagate Sony 3M
Travan (740 ft)
(QIC-3095)
•4.0 GB capacity
•8.0 GB capacity with
data compression
8000TT — TR-4
Standard 900 Oe (400 ft)
(QIC-3080)
•1.6 GB capacity
•3.2 GB capacity with
data compression
— — miniMAGNUSTM
3080
QIC Wide 900 Oe(400 ft)
(QIC-3080)
•2 GB capacity
•4 GB capacity with
data compression
4000QT QW 3080XLF —

Chapter 2 Specifications
Page 12 STT8000 ATAPI Minicartridge Drive
Tape Capacities and Formats
The following table gives the uncompressed capacities for the drive.
Media Type QIC-3095-MC QIC-3080-MC
Travan TR-4 4.0 GB
400 ft QIC-Wide 2.0 GB
400 ft minicartridge 1.6 GB
The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive reads and writes the QIC-3095-MC
and QIC-3080-MC formats. When used with the appropriate software, the drive
reads the QIC 80, QIC-3010, and QIC-3020 formats.
Regulatory Compliance
The STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drive complies with the regulations listed in
the following table.
Agency Regulation
CSA C22.2, No. 950-M89
TUV & IEC-
RHEINLAND EN 60 950/IEC 950
UL 1950
Canadian Dept of
Communications Class B
VDE Class B
FCC Class B, Part 15
Use the STT8000 ATAPI minicartridge drives only in equipment where the
combination has been determined to be suitable by an appropriate certification
organization (for example, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. or the Canadian
Standards Association in North America). You should also consider the
following safety points.
z
Install the drive in an enclosure that limits the user's access to live parts,
gives adequate system stability, and provides the necessary grounding for
the drive.
z
Provide the correct voltages (+5 VDC and +12 VDC) based on the regulation
applied—Extra Low Voltage (SEC) for UL and CSA and Safety Extra Low
Voltage for BSI and VDE (if applicable).