Handbook

WHAT IS THE DLTtape SYSTEM?2.2
Half-Inch Tape
The DLTtape system uses half-inch wide tape. That is the
widest tape available.The half-inch format was originally used in
mainframe products and was adopted by Digital Equipment
Corporation when they designed the ancestors of the DLTtape
system.What is important about the half-inch format is very
straightforward – it’s bigger than the other widely used technolo-
gies, such as quarter-inch, 4mm, and 8mm tape.Half-inch tape is
60 percent wider than 8mm tape. Therefore, you can put more
information on half-inch tape than you can on smaller-format tape.
Linear Recording,Versus Helical Scan
DLTtape drives read and write data in a linear pattern on the tape
(see Figure 2-2).That is, each data track goes the entire length of
the tape (about 1,800 feet for DLTtape IV and Super DLTtape I
media, for example).When data is being recorded,the first set of
tracks is recorded on the whole length of the tape.When the end
Cartridge
Head
Take-up reel
Head guide
assembly
Figure 2-1 Super DLTtape Drive delivers industry-leading
capacity, reliability, and data transfer rate in a 5.25" form factor.