ECMA 246 : 2ED 98

Section 1 - General
1 Scope
2 Conformance
   2.1 Magnetic tape cartridge
   2.2 Generating drive
   2.3 Receiving drive
3 References
4 Definitions
   4.1 Absolute Frame Number (AFN)
   4.2 a.c. erase
   4.3 Access
   4.4 algorithm
   4.5 Area ID
   4.6 Automatic Track Finding (ATF)
   4.7 Average Signal Amplitude
   4.8 azimuth
   4.9 back surface
   4.10 byte
   4.11 cartridge
   4.12 Channel bit
   4.13 Codeword
   4.14 Early Warning Point (EWP)
   4.15 End of Data (EOD)
   4.16 Entity
   4.17 Error Correcting Code (ECC)
   4.18 flux transition position
   4.19 flux transition spacing
   4.20 Frame
   4.21 Housekeeping Frame
   4.22 Logical Beginning of Tape (LBOT)
   4.23 magnetic tape
   4.24 Master Standard Amplitude Calibration Tape
   4.25 Master Standard Reference Tape
   4.26 Memory In Cartridge (MIC)
   4.27 Partition Boundary
   4.28 Physical Beginning of Tape (PBOT)
   4.29 Physical End of Tape (PEOT)
   4.30 physical recording density
   4.31 pre-recording condition
   4.32 processing
   4.33 processed data
   4.34 Processed Record
   4.35 record
   4.36 Reference Field
   4.37 reprocessing
   4.38 Secondary Standard Amplitude Calibration Tape
   4.39 Secondary Standard Reference Tape
   4.40 Separator Mark
   4.41 Standard Reference Amplitude (SRA)
   4.42 Tape Reference Edge
   4.43 Typical Field
   4.44 Standard Reference Current
   4.45 Test Recording Current
   4.46 track
   4.47 unprocessed data
   4.48 Unprocessed Record
5 Conventions and Notations
   5.1 Representation of numbers
   5.2 Names
6 Acronyms
7 Environment and safety
   7.1 Test environment
   7.2 Operating environment
   7.3 Storage environment
   7.4 Transportation
   7.5 Safety
   7.6 Flammability
Section 2 - Requirements for the case
8 Dimensional and mechanical characteristics of the
   case
   8.1 General
   8.2 Overall dimension
   8.3 Holding areas
   8.4 Cartridge insertion
   8.5 Window
   8.6 Loading grips
   8.7 Label areas
   8.8 Datum areas and Datum holes
   8.9 Support areas
   8.10 Recognition holes
   8.11 Write-inhibit hole
   8.12 Pre-positioning surfaces
   8.13 Cartridge lid
   8.14 Cartridge reel lock
   8.15 Reel access holes
   8.16 Interface between the reels and the drive
        spindles
   8.17 Light path
   8.18 Position of the tape in the case
   8.19 Tape path zone
   8.20 Tape access cavity
   8.21 Tape access cavity clearance requirements
   8.22 Requirements for the MIC
        8.22.1 Access holes
        8.22.2 Recognition recesses
Section 3 - Requirements for the unrecorded tape
9 Mechanical, physical and dimensional characteristics
   of the tape
   9.1 Materials
   9.2 Tape length
        9.2.1 Length of magnetic tape
        9.2.2 Length of leader and trailer tapes
        9.2.3 Length of the splicing tapes
   9.3 Tape width
        9.3.1 Width of magnetic, leader and trailer
              tapes
        9.3.2 Width and position of the splicing tape
   9.4 Discontinuities
   9.5 Tape thickness
        9.5.1 Thickness of the magnetic tape
        9.5.2 Thickness of leader and trailer tape
        9.5.3 Thickness of splicing tape
   9.6 Longitudinal curvature
   9.7 Cupping
   9.8 Coating adhesion
   9.9 Layer-to-layer adhesion
   9.10 Tensile strength
        9.10.1 Breaking strength
        9.10.2 Yield strength
   9.11 Residual elongation
   9.12 Electrical resistance of the recording surface
   9.13 Tape winding
   9.14 Light transmittance of the tape
10 Magnetic recording characteristics
   10.1 Typical Field
   10.2 Signal Amplitude
   10.3 Resolution
   10.4 Overwrite
   10.5 Ease of erasure
   10.6 Tape quality
        10.6.1 Missing pulses
        10.6.2 Missing pulse zone
   10.7 Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) characteristic
Section 4 - Requirements for an interchanged tape
11 Format
   11.1 General
   11.2 Basic Groups
        11.2.1 Entity
        11.2.2 Group Information Table
        11.2.3 Block Access Table (BAT)
   11.3 Sub-Groups
        11.3.1 G1 Sub-Group
        11.3.2 G2 Sub-Group - Randomizing
        11.3.3 G3 Sub-Group
   11.4 Data Block
        11.4.1 ID information
        11.4.2 Recording of the ID Information in the
               Data Block Headers
12 Method of recording
   12.1 Physical recording density
   12.2 Long-term average bit cell length
   12.3 Short-term average bit cell length
   12.4 Rate of change
   12.5 Bit shift
   12.6 Read signal amplitude
   12.7 Maximum recorded levels
13 Track geometry
   13.1 Track configuration
   13.2 Average track pitch
   13.3 Variations of the track pitch
   13.4 Track width
   13.5 Track angle
   13.6 Track edge straightness
   13.7 Track length
   13.8 Azimuth angles
14 Recorded patterns
   14.1 Recorded Data Block
   14.2 Margin blocks
15 Format of a track
   15.1 Track capacity
   15.2 Positioning accuracy
   15.3 Tracking scheme
16 Layout of a Single Data Space tape
   16.1 Device Area
   16.2 Reference Area
   16.3 Position Tolerance Band No. 1
   16.4 System Area
        16.4.1 System Preamble
        16.4.2 System Log
        16.4.3 System Postamble
        16.4.4 Position Tolerance Band No. 2
        16.4.5 Vendor Group Preamble
   16.5 Data Area
        16.5.1 Vendor Group
        16.5.2 Recorded Data Group
        16.5.3 ECC3
        16.5.4 Multiple Recorded Instances
        16.5.5 Repeated Frames
        16.5.6 Appending and overwriting
   16.6 EOD Area
   16.7 Optional Device Area
   16.8 Early Warning Point - EWP
   16.9 Initialization
17 Layout of partitioned tape
   17.1 Overall magnetic tape layout
        17.1.1 Partition
   17.2 LBOT
   17.3 Empty Partition
   17.4 Initialization of partitioned tapes
18 Housekeeping Frames
   18.1 Amble Frames
   18.2 System Amble Frames
Annex A - Measurement of light transmittance
Annex B - Measurement of Signal-to-Noise Ratio
Annex C - Method for determining the nominal and the
          maximum allowable recorded levels
Annex D - Representation of 8-bit bytes by 10-bit
          patterns
Annex E - Measurement of bit shift
Annex F - Method of measuring the straightness of track
          edges
Annex G - ECC calculation
Annex H - Recommendations for transportation
Annex J - Read-After-Write
Annex K - Example of the content of a Basic Group No. 0

Gives the magnetic and physical characteristic of 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge enabling physical interchange of cartridges between drives. It also covers the quality of the recorded signals the recording method and the recorded format known as Advanced Intelligent Tape No. 1 (AIT-1) - allowing data interchange between drives by magnetic tape cartridges.