ECMA 197 : 1ED 93

Section 1 - General
1 Scope
2 Conformance
   2.1 Magnetic tape cartridges
   2.2 Generating systems
   2.3 Receiving systems
3 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 Warning (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
   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
        7.16.1 Requirement
        7.16.2 Procedure
   7.17 Tensile yield force
        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 Magnetic 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 (figures 8 and 9)
   10.2 Back side and left side (figures 10 and 11)
   10.3 Tape reel (figures 8, 12 and 13)
   10.4 Tape leader (figures 14, 15 and 16)
   10.5 Front side (figure 17)
   10.6 Operation of the cartridge (figures 18 and 19)
   10.7 Tape winding
   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 G1
        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 (CFI)
        13.6.5 Control Field 2 (CF2)
        13.6.6 CRC
        13.6.7 Postamble
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

Specifies the physical and magnetic characteristics of a 12,7 mm wide, 112-track magnetic tape cartridge, to enable interchangeability of such cartridges. 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. Standard ECMA-13 for Magnetic Tape Labelling, it allows full data interchange by means of such magnetic tape cartridges.