ISO/IEC 13962:1995

INTERNATIONAL ISOIIEC
STANDARD
First edition
1995-09-15
Information technology - Data
interchange on 12,7 mm, 112~track
magnetic tape cartridges - DLT 2 format
Technologies de I’informa tion - khange de donnees SW cartouches de
bande magn&ique de 12,7 mm, 112 pistes - Format DLT 2

ISOLIEC 13962: 1995 (E)
Contents
Page
1 Scope
2 Conformance
2.1 Magnetit tape cartridges
2.2 Generating Systems
2.3 Receiving Systems
3 Normative references
4 Definitions
4.1 Average Signal Amplitude
4.2 azimuth
4.3 back surface
4.4 Beginning-Of-Tape marker (BOT)
4.5 byte
4.6 cartridge
4.7 Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) Character
4.8 Early Wart-ring (EW)
4.9 Error-Detecting Code (EDC)
4.10 End-Of-Tape marker (EOT)
4.11 Entity
4.12 Error-Correcting Code (ECC)
4.13 flux transition Position
4.14 flux transition spacing
4.15 Logical Block
4.16 logical track
4.17 magnetic tape
4.18 Master Standard Reference Tape
4.19 Object
4.20 physical block
4.21 physical recording density
4.22 physical track
4.23 Record
4.24 Reference Edge
4.25 Reference Field
4.26 Secondary Standard Reference Tape
@ ISO/IEC 1995
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified no part of this publication may be
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ISO/IEC Copyright Office l Case Postale 56 l CH-121 1 Geneve 20 l Switzerland
Printed in Switzerland
ISO/IEC 13692:1995 (E)
OISO/IEC
4.27 Standard Reference Amplitude (SRA)
4.28 Standard Reference Current
4.29 Test Recording Current
4.30 Typical Field
5 Conventions and notations
5.1 Representation of numbers
5.2 Names
5.3 Acronyms
6 Environment and safety
6.1 Cartridge and tape testing environment
6.2 Cartridge operating environment
6.3 Cartridge storage environment
6.4 Safety
6.4.1 Safeness
6.4.2 Flammability
6.5 Transportation
Section 2 - Requirements for the unrecorded tape
7 Mechanical and electrical requirements
7.1 Material
7.2 Tape length
7.3 Width
7.4 Total thickness
7.5 Thickness of the base material
7.6 Thickness of the magnetic coating
7.7 Thickness of the back coating
7.8 Discontinuity
7.9 Longitudinal curvature
7.9.1 Requirement
7.9.2 Procedure
7.10 Out-of-Plane distortions
7.11 Cupping
7.12 Roughness of the coating surfaces
7.12.1 Roughness of the back coating surface
7.12.2 Roughness of the magnetic coating surface
7.13 Coating adhesion
7.14 Layer-to-layer adhesion
7.14.1 Requirements
7.14.2 Procedure
7.15 Modulus of elasticity
7.15.1 Requirement
7.15.2 Procedure
7.16 Flexural rigidity
. . .
OISOIIEC
ISO/IEC 13962: 1995 (E)
7.16.1 Requirement
7.16.2 Procedure
7.17 Tensile yield forte
7.17.1 Procedure
7.18 Electrical resistance
7.18.1 Requirement
7.18.2 Procedure
7.19 Inhibitor tape
7.20 Abrasivity
7.20.1 Requirement
7.20.2 Procedure
7.21 Light transmittance of the tape and the leader
7.22 Coefficient of dynamic friction
7.22.1 Requirements
7.22.2 Procedure for the measurement of the friction between the magnetic surface and the back surface
7.22.3 Procedure for the measurement of the friction between the magnetic surface or the back surface and Calcium
titanate ceramic
8 Magnetit recording characteristics
8.1 Typical Field
8.2 Signal amplitude
8.3 Resolution
8.4 Overwrite
8.4.1 Requirement
8.5 Peak shift
8.5.1 Requirement
8.5.2 Procedure
9 Tape quality
9.1 Missing pulses
9.1.1 Requirement
9.2 Missing pulse zone
9.2.1 Requirement
9.3 Tape durability
Section 3 - Mechanical specifications of the tape cartridge
10 General
10.1 Bottom side and right side
10.2 Back side and left side
10.3 Tape reel
10.4 Tape leader
10.5 Front side
10.6 Operation of the cartridge
10.7 Tape winding
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ISO/IEC 13692:1995 (E)
OISOIIEC
10.8 Moment of inertia
10.9 Material
Section 4 - Requirements for an interchanged tape
11 Method of recording
11.1 Physical recording density
11.2 Bit cell length
11.2.1 Average bit cell length
11.2.2 Long-term average bit cell length
11.2.3 Short-term average bit cell length
11.3 Flux transition spacing
11.4 Read Signal amplitude
11.5 Azimuth
11.6 Channel skew
12 Tape format
12.1 Reference Edge
12.2 Direction of recording
12.3 Tape layout
12.4 Calibration and Directory Area
12.4.1 Scratch Area
12.4.2 Guard Area Gl
12.4.3 Calibration Tracks Area
12.4.4 Guard Area G2
12.4.5 Directory Area
12.4.6 Guard Area G3
12.5 Data Area
12.5.1 Physical tracks
12.5.2 Width of the physical tracks
12.5.3 Logical tracks
12.5.4 Locations of the physical tracks
12.5.5 Layout of tracks in the Data Area
13 Data format
13.1 Data Bytes
13.2 Logical Blocks
13.3 Data Blocks
13.4 Types of Logical Blocks
13.5 Entities
13.6 Logical Block format
13.6.1 Preamble
13.6.2 Sync
13.6.3 Data Field
13.6.4 Control Field 1 (CF1 )
13.6.5 Control Field 2 (CF2)
13.6.6 CRC
13.6.7 Postamble
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OISO/IEC
ISO/IEC 13962: 1995 (E)
14 Use of Logical Blocks
14.1 Data Blocks
14.2 Tape Mark Blocks
14.3 Filler Blocks
14.4 End of Track Blocks (EOTR)
14.5 End of Data Blocks (EOD)
14.6 ECC Blocks
15 Format of Entities
16 Error handling
Annexes
A - Measurement of light transmittance
B - CRC generation
C - ECC generation
D - Format of Control Field 1
E - Format of Control Field 2
F - Recommendations for transportation
G - Inhibitor tape
H - Recommendations on tape durability
J - Handling guidelines
OISO/IEC
ISO/IEC 13692:1995 (E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) form the
specialized System for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC participate in the
development of International Standards through technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with
particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in Felds of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-govemmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work.
In the field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1. Draft
International Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
International Standard ISO/IEC 13962 was prepared by ECMA (as Standard ECMA-197) and was adopted, under a special
“fast-track procedure”, by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology.
Annexes A to E form an integral part of this International Standard. Annexes F to J are for information only.
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ISO/IEC 13962: 1995 (E)
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Introduction
ISO/IEC 13421 l) specifies a magnetic tape cartridge in which the 12,7 mm wide magnetic tape is recorded on 48 parallel
physical tracks, recorded and read in pairs, which constitute two groups, the first recorded and read in forward direction, the
second in reverse direction.
This International Standard constitutes a further development of the cartridge specified in ISO/IEC 13421 in that the number
of tracks has been raised from 48 to 112, thus raising the total capacity of the cartridge accordingly. Drives for cartridges
according to this International Standard may be able to read from, and write onto, cartridges according to ISO/IEC 13421.
l) ISOIIEC 13421.1993 . Information technology - Data interchange on 12,7 mm, 48-track magnetic tape cartridges - DLTI
format.
. . .
Vlll
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD @ISO/IEC
ISOIIEC 13962:1995 (E)
Information technology - Data interchange on 12,7 mm, 112~track magnetic tape
cartridges - DLT 2 format
Section 1 - General
Scope
This International Standard specifies the physical and magnetic characteristics of a 12,7 mm wide, 112-track magnetic tape
cartridge, to enable interchangeability of such cartridges. It also specifies the quality of the recorded Signals, a format - called
Digital Linear Tape 2 (DLT 2) - and a recording method. Together with a labelling Standard, e.g. ISO 1001, it allows full data
interchange by means of such magnetic tape cartridges.
2 Conformance
21 0 Magnetit tape cartridges
A magnetic tape cartridge shall be in conformance with this International Standard if it satisfies all mandatory requirements of
this International Standard. The tape requirements shall be satisfied throughout the extent of the tape.
22 . Generating Systems
A System generating a magnetic tape cartridge for interchange shall be entitled to Claim conformance with this International
Standard if all the recordings that it makes on a tape according to 2.1 meet the mandatory requirements of this International
Standard.
23 . Receiving Systems
A System receiving a magnetic tape cartridge for interchange shall be entitled to Claim conformance with this International
Standard if it is able to handle any recording made on a tape according to 2.1.
3 Normative references
The following Standards contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this International
Standard. At the time of publication, the editions indicated were valid. All Standards are subject to revision, and Parties to
agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent
editions of the Standards listed below. Members of IEC and ISO maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
ISO 1001: 1986, Information processing - File structure and labelling of magnetic tapes for information interchange.
ISO 1302: 1992, Technical drawings - Method of indicating sur$ace texture.
4 Definitions
For the purpose of this International Standard, the following definitions apply.
41 0 Average Signal Amplitude: The average peak-to-peak value of the output Signal from the read head at the
physical recording density of 1 674 ftpmm measured over a minimum length of track of 25,4 mm, exclusive of missing pulses.
42 . azimuth: The angular deviation, in minutes of arc, of the mean flux transition line of the recording made on a track
from the line normal to the Reference Edge.
43 . back surface: The surface of the tape opposite the magnetic coating which is used to record data.
44 . Beginning-Of-Tape marker (BOT): A hole punched on the centreline of the tape towards the end nearest to the
leader.
45 . byte: An ordered set of bits acted upon as a unit.
Note 1 - In this International Standard, all bytes are 8-bit bytes.

ISO/IEC 13962: 1995 (E) OISO/IEC
46 . cartridge: A case containing a Single supply reel of 12,7 mm wide magnetic tape with a leader attached at the outer
end.
Character: A 64-bit Character, generated by a mathematical computation,
47 . Cvclic Redundancv Check (CRC)
d
used for error detection.
generated by the drive indicating the approaching end of the recording area.
48 . Early Warning (EW): A Signal
49 0 Error-Detecting Code (EDC): A mathematical computation yielding check bytes used for error detection.
A hole punched on the centreline of the tape towards the end farthest from the
4.10 End-Of-Tape marker (EOT):
leader.
4.11 Entity: A group of ten Logical Blocks treated as a logical unit and recorded on a logical track.
4.12 Error-Correcting Code (ECC): A mathematical computation yielding check bytes used for the correction of
errors detected by the CRC and the EDC.
4.13 flux transition Position: The Point which exhibits the maximum free-space flux density normal to the tape
surface.
4.14 flux transition spacing: The distance on the magnetic tape between successive flux transitions.
4.15 Logical Block: The two physical blocks simultaneously written on, or read from, the two physical tracks of a
logical track.
4.16 logical track: A pair of physical tracks that are written or read simultaneously.
4.17 magnetic tape: A tape that accepts and retains magnetic Signals intended for input, output, and storage purposes on
Computers and associated equipment.
4.18 Master Standard Reference Tape: A tape selected as the Standard for reference field, Signal amplitude,
resolution, peakshift, and overwrite characteristics.
Note 2 - The Master Standard Reference Tape is maintained by the Quantum Corporation.
4.19 Object: A Record or a Tape Mark Block.
4.20 physical block: A set of contiguous bytes recorded on a physical track and considered as a unit.
4.21 physical recording density: The number of recorded flux transitions per unit length of track, expressed in flux
transitions per millimetre (ftpmm).
4.22 physical track: A longitudinal area on the tape along which a series of magnetic Signals tan be recorded.
4.23 Record: A collection of User Bytes, the number of which is determined by the host.
4.24 Reference Edge: The bottom edge of the tape when viewing the magnetic coating of the tape with the BOT to the
left and the EOT to the right of the observer.
4.25 Reference Field: The Typical Field of the Master Standard Reference Tape.
4.26 Secondary Standard Reference Tape : A tape the characteristics of which are known and stated in relation to
those of the Master Standard Reference Tape.
334 South
Note 3 - Secondary Standard Reference Tapes tan be ordered under Reference “SSRT/DLTl” until the year 2003 from Quantum Corporation,
Street, Shrewsbury, Mass. 01545, USA.
It is intended that these be used for calibrating tertiary reference tapes for routine calibration.
4.27 Standard Reference Amplitude (SRA): The A verage Signal Amplitude from the Master Standard Reference
Tape when it is recorded with the Test Recording Current at 1 674 ftpmm.
4.28 Standard Reference Current: The current that produces the Reference Field.
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