ANSI INCITS 242 : 1994 : R2004

Foreword
1 Introduction
2 Normative references
3 Definitions
4 Environment and safety
   4.1 Cartridge and tape testing environment
   4.2 Cartridge operating environment
   4.3 Cartridge storage environment
   4.4 Transportation
   4.5 Safety
5 Tape mechanical, electrical, and magnetic requirements
   5.1 Material
   5.2 Width
   5.3 Total thickness
   5.4 Base material thickness
   5.5 Magnetic coating thickness
   5.6 Discontinuity
   5.7 Longitudinal curvature
   5.8 Out-of-plane distortions
   5.9 Cupping
   5.10 Coating surface roughness
   5.11 Coating adhesion
   5.12 Layer-to-layer adhesion
   5.13 Young's modulus
   5.14 Flexural rigidity
   5.15 Electrical resistance of the recording surface
   5.16 Electrical resistance of the back surface
   5.17 Pre-record condition
   5.18 Inhibitor tape
   5.19 Abrasivity
   5.20 Tape and leader opacity
   5.21 Tensile yield force
   5.22 Friction coefficient
   5.23 Coercivity
6 Tape magnetic-recording performance
   6.1 Typical field
   6.2 Signal amplitude
   6.3 Resolution
   6.4 Overwrite
   6.5 Peak shift
   6.6 Self erasure
7 Tape quality
   7.1 Dropouts
   7.2 Excessive duration error
   7.3 Tape edge quality
   7.4 Durability
8 Mechanical specifications of the tape cartridge
   8.1 Cartridge case label areas
   8.2 Cartridge positioning planes
   8.3 Tape cartridge case material
   8.4 File-protect mechanism
   8.5 Reel lock mechanism
   8.6 Tape winding
   8.7 Winding tension
   8.8 Tape-reel diameter
   8.9 Tape-reel moment of inertia
   8.10 Leader attachment
   8.11 Cartridge leader position
   8.12 Leader retract velocity
   8.13 Tape exit angles
   8.14 Tape access door
   8.15 Tape position holes
9 Recording
   9.1 Physical recording density
   9.2 Bit-cell length
   9.3 Flux transition spacing (peak shift)
   9.4 Read signal amplitude
   9.5 Azimuth
   9.6 Channel skew
10 Tape format
   10.1 Reference edge of tape
   10.2 Direction of recording
   10.3 Tape layout
   10.4 Calibration/directory area
   10.5 Data area
11 Format of data
   11.1 General
   11.2 Data bytes
   11.3 Physical blocks
   11.4 Logical blocks
   11.5 Entities
12 Format and content of block structures
   12.1 Preamble
   12.2 Sync
   12.3 Data field
   12.4 Control field
   12.5 Control field
   12.6 Cyclical redundancy check (CRC)
   12.7 Postamble
   12.8 Use of logical blocks
13 Entity
14 Error handling
Annexes
Annex A (normative) - Pre-record condition and magnetic moment
                      measurement
Annex B (informative) - Recommendations for transportation
Annex C (informative) - Tape cartridge handling guidelines
Annex D (informative) - Recommendation on tape durability

Gives the requirements for a tape cartridge used for information interchange among information-processing and communication systems and associated equipment using a standard code for the interchange agreed on by the interchange parties. Also, covers requirements for the unrecorded cartridge and for recording on the enclosed magnetic tape.