ECMA 139 : 1ED 90

SECTION I - GENERAL
1 SCOPE
2 CONFORMANCE
   2.1 Magnetic Tape Cartridge
   2.2 Generating System
   2.3 Receiving System
3 REFERENCES
4 DEFINITIONS
   4.1 Absolute Frame Number (AFN)
   4.2 Automatic Track Finding (ATF)
   4.3 Area ID
   4.4 Average Signal Amplitude
   4.5 Azimuth
   4.6 Back Surface
   4.7 Byte
   4.8 Cartridge
   4.9 Channel Bit
   4.10 Data Format ID
   4.11 Early Warning Point (EWP)
   4.12 End of Data (EOD)
   4.13 Error Correcting Code (ECC)
   4.14 Flux Transition Position
   4.15 Flux Transition Spacing
   4.16 Frame
   4.17 Housekeeping Frame
   4.18 Logical Beginning of Tape (LBOT)
   4.19 Magnetic Tape
   4.20 Master Standard Amplitude Calibration Tape
   4.21 Master Standard Reference Tape
   4.22 Optimum Recording Field
   4.23 Partition Boundary
   4.24 Physical Beginning of Tape (PBOT)
   4.25 Physical End of Tape (PEOT)
   4.26 Physical Recording Density
   4.27 Pre-recording Condition
   4.28 Record
   4.29 Reference Recording Field
   4.30 Secondary Standard Amplitude Calibration Tape
   4.31 Secondary Standard Reference tape
   4.32 Separator
   4.33 Standard Reference Amplitude
   4.34 Tape Reference Edge
   4.35 Test Recording Current
   4.36 Track
   4.37 Virtual End of Tape (VEOT)
5 ENVIRONMENT AND SAFETY
   5.1 Testing Environment
   5.2 Operating Environment
   5.3 Storage Environment
   5.4 Transportation
   5.5 Safety
   5.6 Flammability
SECTION II - REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CASE
6 DIMENSIONAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CASE
   6.1 General
   6.2 Overall Dimensions (Fig. 6 and 7)
   6.3 Loading Grip (Fig. 6)
   6.4 Holding Areas (Fig. 6)
   6.5 Notches of the Lid (Fig. 5 and 8)
   6.6 Lid Dimensions (Fig 6 to 8)
   6.7 Optical Detection of the Beginning and End of Tape
        (Fig. 9 and 12)
   6.8 Bottom Side (Fig. 10 and 11)
   6.9 Hubs (Fig. 15,16)
   6.10 Leader and Trailer Attachment
   6.11 Interface between the Hubs and the Drive Spindles
        (Fig. 17)
   6.12 Opening of the Lid (Fig. 18)
   6.13 Release of the Hub Locking Mechanism (Fig. 19, 20)
   6.14 Label Area (Fig. 21, 22)
SECTION III - REQUIREMENTS FOR THE UNRECORDED TAPE
7 MECHANICAL, PHYSICAL AND DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
   THE TAPE
   7.1 Materials
   7.2 Tape Length
   7.3 Tape Width
   7.4 Discontinuities
   7.5 Total Thickness
   7.6 Lognitudinal Curvature
   7.7 Cupping
   7.8 Coating Adhesion
   7.9 Layer-to-Layer Adhesion
   7.10 Tensile Strength
   7.11 Residual Elongation
   7.12 Electrical Resistance of Coated Surfaces
   7.13 Light Transmittance of Tape
8 MAGNETIC RECORDING CHARACTERISTICS
   8.1 Optimum Recording Field
   8.2 Signal Amplitude
   8.3 Resolution
   8.4 Overwrite
   8.5 Ease of Erasure
   8.6 Tape Quality
   8.7 Signal-to-Noise Ratio (S/N) Characteristics
SECTION IV - REQUIREMENTS FOR AN INTERCHANGED TAPE
9 DDS FORMAT
   9.1 General
   9.2 Basic Groups
   9.3 G1 Sub-Groups
   9.4 Sub-Data Area
10 METHOD OF RECORDING
   10.1 Physical Recording Density
   10.2 Long-Term Average Bit Cell Length
   10.3 Short-Term Average Bit Cell Length
   10.4 Rate of Change
   10.5 Bit Shift
   10.6 Read Signal Amplitude
   10.7 Maximum Recorded Levels
11 TRACK GEOMETRY
   11.1 Track Configuration
12 RECORDING OF BLOCKS ON THE TAPE
   12.1 Recorded Main Data Block
   12.2 Recorded Sub Data Block
   12.3 Margin Blocks, Preamble Blocks and Postamble Blocks
   14.4 Spacer Blocks
13 FORMAT OF A TRACK
   13.1 Track Capacity
   13.2 Positioning Accuracy
   13.3 Tracking Scheme
14 MAGNETIC TAPE LAYOUT
   14.1 Device Area
   14.2 Reference Area
   14.3 Position Tolerance Band No. 1
   14.4 System Area
   14.5 Data Area
   14.6 EOD Area
   14.7 Post-EOD Area
   14.8 Early Warning Point - EWP
   14.9 Initialization
15 PARTITIONED TAPE
   15.1 Overall Magnetic Tape Layout
   15.2 Area-ID
   15.3 System Area Pack Items No. 3 and No. 4
   15.4 Empty Partitions
   15.5 Initialization of Partitioned Tapes
16 HOUSEKEEPING FRAMES
   16.1 Amble Frames
   16.2 System Log Frames
   16.3 Tape Management Frames
SECTION V - APPENDICES
APPENDIX A - Measurement of the Light Transmittance of the
             Prisms
APPENDIX B - Recognition Holes
APPENDIX C - Means to Open the Lid
APPENDIX D - Measurement of Light Transmittance of Tape
             and Leaders
APPENDIX E - Measurement of Signal-to-Noise Ratio
APPENDIX F - Method for Determining the Nominal and the Maximum
             Allowable Recorded Levels
APPENDIX G - Representation of 8-Bit Bytes by 10-Bit Patterns
APPENDIX H - Measurement of Bit Shift
APPENDIX J - Recommendations for Transportation
APPENDIX K - Method of Measuring Track Edge Linearity
APPENDIX L - Read-After-Write
APPENDIX M - Example of the Content of basic Group No.0

Specifies the physical and magnetic characteristics of a 3,81 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge to enable interchangeability of such cartridges. Also specifies the quality of the recorded signal, the format and the recording method, thereby allowing data interchange by means of such magnetic tape cartridges.