Archive 4584NP Autoloader DDS

Data Transfer	Sustained	366 Kbytes/s (1:1 base)
		732 Kbytes/s (2:1 typical)
		1464 Kbytes/s (4:1 max)
Nominal Capacity	60-metre cartridge	1.3 Gbyte (1:1 base)
		2.6 Gbyte (2:1 typical)
		5.2 Gbyte (4:1 max)
	90-metre cartridge	2.0 Gbyte (1:1 base)
		4.0 Gbyte (2:1 typical)
		8.0 Gbyte (4:1 max)
Unrecoverable Errors	Less than 1 in 10¹⁵ data bits
Recording Format	ANSI/ECMA Digital Storage with Data Compression (DDS-DC)
Media (ten)	1.3GB DDS tape	DA44990

Using the Drive

Front Panel

The front panel of the Autoloading DDS-DC drive includes a eight character display, four LEDs and two buttons. The front panel is illustrated below.

Front Panel Display

The front panel display is used to display eight alphanumeric characters indicating the status of the drive. If the drive is installed with the display horizontal, text is oriented to read from left to right. If the drive is installed with the display vertical, text is oriented to read from top to bottom.

When the drive drawer is closed and a magazine present the display identifies the magazine slot that is positioned for use. the drive drawer is closed without a magazine present no message is displayed. When the drawer is open and a other magazine than a four cartridge magazine is present, the drive identifies the magazine and it locks it and the drawer in place. display The indicates which slot is positioned for use. If the slot positioned for use does not contain a cartridge the display flashes rapidly. If the slot contains a correctly inserted cartridge the display flashes slowly identifying the slot. The slow flash continues for five seconds after the magazine is stepped using the STEP button. Once the cartridge is loaded the slot number is displayed continuously. If a cartridge is not correctly inserted in the magazine the display shows the CHECK MAGAZINE message. Whenever the drive needs operator intervention the display flashes OPERATOR.

It is vital that the text reads left to right when the display is horizontal, and top to bottom when the display is vertical. The drive must not be operated with the text incorrectly oriented.

If text is displayed incorrectly, open the drive drawer, eject the magazine, power the system down and refer to Drawer switches for information on changing the orientation.

Message	Meaning
MAG ERR	Magazine is jammed
ILLEGAL	Button has no function
NO CASS	A cartridge is no present
CASS IN	A cartridge is in the drive
CLEANING	Cleaning cycle is occurring
OPERATOR	Operator action is required
EJECTING	Cartridge is being ejected
INSERT	Cartridge is being inserted
SCAN MAG	Magazine is being initialised
DISMOUNT	Magazine is being dismounted
SLOT-nn	Slot number nn is in position
OPENING	Drawer is opening
CLOSING	Drawer is closing
CHK MAG	The cartridge is not correctly
	inserted in the magazine

Front Panel Buttons

The EJECT button ejects the currently loaded cartridge and , if a magazine is being used, dismounts the magazine, opening the drawer if necessary.

This button allows you to step through the cartridges in the magazine in turn, until you reach the one you require.

Pressing the STEP button returns the current cartridge to the magazine and moves the magazine to the next cartridge. If a cartridge is present in that slot it is loaded into the drive after a five second delay.

The delay allows you to step the magazine to the next cartridge if the current one is not the one you require.

When the magazine is stepped beyond the last slot it moves back to the first slot.

Front Panel LEDs

LED	Action	Meaning
Drive Status	ON	The drive is reading or writing the cartridge.
Drive Status	Flashing rapidly	A hardware fault has occurred, or dew has been detected.
Cartridge Status	ON	A cartridge is in the drive and is not generating excess errors.
	Flashing slowly	A cartridge is in the drive and is generating excess errors (Warning). Use a cleaning cartridge to clean the heads.
	Flashing slowly (with drive status LED flashing)	A pre-recorded audio cartridge is in the drive.
	Flashing rapidly	The drive cannot write to the tape (Error). Use a cleaning cartridge to clean the heads.
Data compression	ON	A data compression or decompression operation is in progress.
Write protect	ON	The cartridge in the drive is write protected.

Write-protecting a cartridge

A cartridge can be write-protected by sliding the white tab on the cartridge so that the recess is revealed. In this position, data can be read from the tape but not written to it.

Magazine operation

To load cartridges hold the magazine with the flat side towards you, so that the cartridge slots face away from you. Then insert a cartridge with the write protect tab facing you at the right end of the cartridge.

The cartridge should seat firmly in the slot. Repeat the process for the remaining cartridges.

The drive senses when a four cartridge magazine is used, and automatically closes the drawer and loads the first (top) cartridge. To load a four cartridge magazine:

1, Press the EJECT button to open the drawer. The drawer will open and the display will indicate that operator action is required.

2, Align the loaded magazine over the open drawer with the flat side of the magazine towards you, and the protrusions on the sides of the magazine matching the cut-outs in the drawer.

3, Place the magazine gently in the drawer. Do not force it. The drive senses its presence, positions it and closes the drawer automatically.

1, Press the EJECT button to open the drawer. The drawer will open and the display will indicate that operator action is required.

2, Insert the cartridge into the slot as shown in the following illustration, with the write protect tab facing you at the right end of the cartridge.

3, Gently push the cartridge into the drive until the drive pulls the cartridge into the opening.

Cleaning the drive

To clean the heads insert a cleaning cartridge. These are available from Apricot (GH46865).

The drive automatically recognises the cleaning cartridge, loads it and runs it for approximately 10 seconds, before it is ejected. Each time the cleaning cartridge is used a clean unused portion of the tape is advanced. After approximately 30 uses the entire tape is used and a new cartridge is required.

The flashing of the cartridge status LED could refer to a damaged tape, or a tape nearing the end of its life. If cleaning the heads does not correct the flashing LED condition, replace the tape.

Do not use an audio DAT cleaning cartridge, the drive will not recognise it as a cleaning cartridge.

Cleaning the cartridge rollers

1. Press the EJECT button and, once the drawer is open, remove the magazine or cartridge.

3. Press the STEP button three times within three seconds. CLEAN 1 will appear on the display, and the cartridge rollers will rotate for 10 seconds.

4. As the cartridge rollers begin to rotate extend the swab into the drawer and wipe the rollers with the wet end of the swab.

5. While the rollers are still rotating wipe them with the dry end of a cotton swab.

Cleaning the magazine rollers

1. Press the EJECT button and, once the drawer is open, remove the magazine or cartridge.

3. Press the STEP button three times within three seconds. CLEAN 2 will appear on the display, and the left magazine rollers will rotate for 10 seconds.

4. As the left magazine rollers begin to rotate extend the swab into the drawer and wipe the rollers with the wet end of the swab.

5. While the rollers are still rotating wipe them with the dry end of a cotton swab.

1. Press the EJECT button and, once the drawer is open, remove the magazine or cartridge.

3. Press the STEP button three times within three seconds. CLEAN 3 will appear on the display, and the right magazine rollers will rotate for 10 seconds.

4. As the right magazine rollers begin to rotate extend the swab into the drawer and wipe the rollers with the wet end of the swab.

5. While the rollers are still rotating wipe them with the dry end of a cotton swab.

Display cleaning

If necessary the front panel display can be cleaned with a damp cloth and soapy water.

Do not use detergents or any proprietary cleaning solutions. These may damage the display.

Environment

Drive Configuration

Drawer switches

Switch 1 determines the orientation of the characters on the display. When switch 1 is off the display reads from left to right, when switch1 is on the display reads from top to bottom.

It is vital that switch 1 is set in the correct position, in addition to the display orientation the position of this switch also changes the operation of the drive mechanism.

Switch 2 determines whether the first cartridge in the magazine is automatically loaded into the drive. When switch 2 is off the cartridge is not loaded, when switch 2 is on the cartridge is loaded.

Top panel switches

With the drive out of the system a bank of seven switches is available on the circuit board at the top of the drive. The location of the switches can be seen in the illustration.

Switch	Function
1	Display language
2	Display language
3	Continuous cycle
4	Display intensity
5	Power on self test
6	Reserved
7	Reserved

Switch		Language
2	1
OFF	OFF	English
OFF	ON	French
ON	OFF	German
ON	ON	Spanish

Switch 3 determines the action of the drive after it accesses the last cartridge in the magazine. When switch 3 is off the drive stops. When switch 3 is on the drive returns to the first cartridge.

Switch 4 controls the intensity of the display. When switch 4 is off display intensity is normal. When switch 4 is on display intensity is high.

Switch 5 controls whether the drive runs its self test sequence on power up. When switch 5 is off the drive does not run the self test sequence. When switch 5 in on the drive does run the self test sequence.

Rear panel switches

With the drive out of the system a bank of eight switches is available on the circuit board at the rear of the drive. The location of the switches is indicated in the illustration below.

Switch	Function
1	SCSI ID bit 0
2	SCSI ID bit 1
3	SCSI ID bit2
4	SCSI mode
5	Parity
6	DDS pass through
7	Reserved
8	Power on self test

Switch			Identity
3	2	1
OFF	OFF	OFF	0
OFF	OFF	ON	1
OFF	ON	OFF	2
OFF	ON	ON	3
ON	OFF	OFF	4
ON	OFF	ON	5
ON	ON	OFF	6
ON	ON	ON	7

This switch is used to select whether the drive uses a SCSI-1 or SCSI-2 interface. When the switch is off SCSI-1 is selected, when the switch is on SCSI-2 is selected.

This switch is used to select whether the drive enables parity and parity checking on the SCSI bus. When the switch is off parity is disabled, when the switch is on parity is enabled.

This switch is used to enable DDS pass-through mode. When the switch is off DDS pass-through mode is disabled, when the switch is on DDS pass-through is enabled.

When DDS pass-through mode is disabled data written to cartridges is compressed, unless the drive finds uncompressed data already present on the cartridge.

When DDS pass-through mode is enabled data written to cartridges is uncompressed.

Switch 8 controls whether the drive runs its self test sequence on power up. When switch 8 is off the drive does not run the self test sequence. When switch 8 is on the drive does run the self test sequence.

SCSI termination

The rear of the drive provides two sockets for SIP termination assemblies. If you are installing termination assemblies make sure that you align pin 1 of the assemblies with pin 1 of the sockets.

A two pin jumper on the rear of the drive determines whether the drive supplies termination power to the SCSI bus. When a jumper is across both pins termination power is enabled.