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Frequently Asked Questions

What does "Qualified" media mean?

What is an Advanced Metal Powder Media?

How is it different than traditional Metal Evaporated tape?

What does it mean, that the powder is oriented?

How are friction and mechanical interference minimized?

How is tape delamination eliminated?

How long will a tape cartridge last?

How is it that pre-formatting is eliminated?

Why does the cartridge have only one reel?

What's a buckler?

How are the cartridge shells made stiffer?

What does "Qualified" media mean?

Manufacturers of DLT^® media must pass a strenuous qualification process for performance, compatibility and reliability.

Only DLT qualified media cartridges have been proven to satisfy three basic criteria:

1. performance — has passed stringent tests of materials, manufacturing and efficacy
2. compatibility — guarantees DLT drive warranty compliance and interchangeability
3. reliability — ensures long-term durability and an ongoing commitment to quality

Tape cartridges that pass are marked with the DLT logo. Look for these seals as your assurance of quality and of meeting the most stringent of standards.

What is an Advanced Metal Powder Media?

Advanced Metal Powder tape is a new generation of Super DLTtape^® media with a finer grain size, compared to traditional tape, to accept data at higher densities. Native capacity now is 110 GB per cartridge, with a Roadmap leading to over 1 TB.

How is it different than traditional Metal Evaporated tape?

The extremely high recording densities of Super DLTtape Technology exceed the parameters of traditional media stock. For this purpose Advanced Metal Powder tape was created. The magnetized particulates of AMP are a titanium admixture metal powder, giving it more coercivity (intensity of the magnetic field), allowing higher tape speeds with no loss in the precision of the data stream transfer.

What does it mean, that the powder is oriented?

The powder is uniform in shape and size, less than 100 nm long with a ratio of length to thickness less than 5:1. Uniform size and shape allows the powder to be oriented, and result in high squareness values in the direction of recording (~0.8). Since the direction of recording is parallel to the edge of the media, a single, uniform contribution to signal is obtained in either direction of tape media travel. This is unachievable in other systems that use helical scanning, as the head-to-media contact is tilted.

How are friction and mechanical interference minimized?

The nonmagnetic under layer of the tape incorporates a mixture of organic acid and ester lubricants within the binder formulation. This lubricant "blooms" to the surface as the tape travels, minimizing friction between the tape and the stationary head. By combining both solid and liquid lubricants within the binder component, tape and head wear are minimized, while airborne particles are repelled.

How is tape delamination eliminated?

AMP media is prepared by double coating a base film layer, wet on wet, with a thick nonmagnetic under layer and an extremely thin magnetic outer layer, using the latest advances in binder chemistry. This combination of metal powder orientation, a dense binding system, a smooth coating surface, and this specially selected base film, allows the media to accept shorter wavelength recording and achieve higher density and performance than other technologies. Independent testing indicates this style of media does not experience the delaminating found in traditional media.

How long will a tape cartridge last?

Cartridge shelf life is more than 30 years with less than 10% loss in demagnetization at 20° C and 40% noncondensing humidity.

How is it that pre-formatting is eliminated?

The back coat layer is embedded with three microscopic, optical servo tracks. With these servo tracks on the back side of the tape, 100% of the magnetic side is used for data tracks, increasing capacity. With the servo being optically read by laser, rather than a traditional magnetic servo system, Super DLTtape cartridges need no magnetic pre-formatting routines to initialize the servo information.

Why does the cartridge have only one reel?

Super DLTtape Technology retains the classic, one reel cartridge. This efficient design allows the cartridge to be fully filled with tape, instead of half filled with air. That's why the cartridges are heavier, smaller, more compact and more volume efficient.

What's a buckler?

Super DLTtape Technology has fashioned a positive engagement tape leader buckling mechanism that increases cartridge life and supports the 100% duty cycle environment of enterprise and automated environments. This robust system engages the tape leader upon cartridge load, and disengages upon unload. The buckler uses a solid metal barbell shaped pin that couples with molded clips attached to the tape leader in the cartridge.

How are the cartridge shells made stiffer?

Super DLTtape cartridges have a thicker internal circular wall surrounding the media, with more structural ribbing to increase overall cartridge resiliency and reduce potential damage from dropping.