ECMA 278 : 2ED 2000

Section 1 - General
1 Scope
2 Conformance
   2.1 Magnetic tape cartridge
   2.2 Generating system
   2.3 Receiving system
3 References
4 Definitions
   4.1 algorithm
   4.2 anhysteretic erase
   4.3 average signal amplitude
   4.4 azimuth
   4.5 back surface
   4.6 beginning of partition (BOP)
   4.7 beginning of tape (BOT)
   4.8 cartridge
   4.9 cyclic redundancy check (CRC) character
   4.10 end of tape (EOT)
   4.11 error-correcting code (ECC)
   4.12 error-detecting code (EDC)
   4.13 File Mark
   4.14 flux transition position
   4.15 flux transition spacing
   4.16 half-wrap
   4.17 logical block
   4.18 logical forward
   4.19 logical reverse
   4.20 magnetic tape
   4.21 mark tach count
   4.22 Master Standard Reference Tape
   4.23 physical recording density
   4.24 pre-record condition
   4.25 recorded element
   4.26 Reference Field
   4.27 resync character
   4.28 SDM set
   4.29 Secondary Standard Reference Tape (SSRT)
   4.30 servo track
   4.31 Standard Reference Amplitude (SRA)
   4.32 Standard Reference Current (I[r])
   4.33 Test Recording Current (I[m])
   4.34 track
   4.35 track group
   4.36 trailer
   4.37 Typical Field
   4.38 write equalisation
5 Conventions and notations
   5.1 Representation of numbers
   5.2 Dimensions
   5.3 Names
   5.4 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 Base material thickness
   7.6 Discontinuity
   7.7 Longitudinal curvature
        7.7.1 Requirement
        7.7.2 Procedure
   7.8 Out-of-Plane distortions
   7.9 Cupping
        7.9.1 Requirement
        7.9.2 Procedure
   7.10 Coefficient of dynamic friction
        7.10.1 Requirements
        7.10.2 Procedure
   7.11 Coating adhesion
   7.12 Layer-to-layer adhesion
        7.12.1 Requirements
        7.12.2 Procedure
   7.13 Electrical resistance
        7.13.1 Requirement
        7.13.2 Procedure
   7.14 Abrasivity
   7.15 Friction characteristics after stress
        7.15.1 Requirements
        7.15.2 Procedure
   7.16 Surface roughness
        7.16.1 Requirement
        7.16.2 Procedure
   7.17 Inhibitor tape
8 Magnetic recording characteristics
   8.1 Typical Field
   8.2 Signal amplitude
   8.3 Resolution
   8.4 Broad-band signal-to-noise ratio (BBSNR)
        8.4.1 Requirement
        8.4.2 Procedure
9 Tape quality
   9.1 Missing pulse
        9.1.1 Requirement
        9.1.2 Procedure
   9.2 Coincident missing pulse
        9.2.1 Requirement
        9.2.2 Procedure
   9.3 Missing pulse density
        9.3.1 Requirement
        9.3.2 Procedure
   9.4 Tape durability
Section 3 - Mechanical specifications of the tape cartridge
10 General
   10.1 Overall dimensions
   10.2 Write-inhibit mechanism
   10.3 Label areas of the rear side
   10.4 Label area on the top side
   10.5 Case opening
   10.6 Locating notches
   10.7 Locating areas (figure 8)
   10.8 Inside configuration of the case around the case
         opening
   10.9 Other external dimensions of the case
   10.10 Central window
   10.11 Stacking ribs
   10.12 Recessed area
   10.13 Flexibility of the case
         10.13.1 Requirements
         10.13.2 Procedure
   10.14 Tape reel
         10.14.1 Locking mechanism
         10.14.2 Axis of rotation of the reel
         10.14.3 Metallic insert
         10.14.4 Toothed rim
         10.14.5 Hub of the reel
         10.14.6 Relative positions
         10.14.7 Characteristics of the toothed rim
   10.15 Leader block
   10.16 Attachment of the tape to the leader block
   10.17 Latching mechanism
   10.18 Tape wind
   10.19 Wind tension
   10.20 Circumference of the tape reel
   10.21 Moment of inertia
   10.22 Material
   10.23 Cartridge identification notches
   10.24 Finger slot
Section 4 - Requirements for an interchanged tape
11 Method of recording
   11.1 Physical recording density
   11.2 Bit cell length
   11.3 Average bit cell length
        11.3.1 Long-term average RLL bit cell length
        11.3.2 Short-term average RLL bit cell length
   11.4 Rate of change of the short-term average RLL bit
        cell length
   11.5 Bit shift
   11.6 Total character skew
   11.7 Missing zero-crossing zones
   11.8 Coincident missing zero-crossing zones
12 Servo tracks
   12.1 Locations of the servo tracks
   12.2 Physical width of the servo tracks
   12.3 Format of the servo tracks
   12.4 Servo requirements
        12.4.1 Servo amplitude
        12.4.2 Servo azimuth
        12.4.3 Servo errors
        12.4.4 Servo edge spacing
   12.5 Procedure
13 Data track format
   13.1 Number of data tracks
   13.2 Track positions
   13.3 Track width
   13.4 Data azimuth
   13.5 Half-wraps
14 Tape format
   14.1 General
   14.2 Recording area
   14.3 Tach count
   14.4 Physical blocks
   14.5 Servo acquisition region
   14.6 Volume control region
   14.7 Data region
   14.8 Data entities
15 Packet format
   15.1 Packet header
   15.2 Packet data
   15.3 Packet trailer
16 Device blocks
   16.1 Data device blocks
   16.2 Mark device blocks
   16.3 File Mark
   16.4 Void mark
   16.5 Beginning of half-wrap mark
   16.6 End of half-wrap mark
   16.7 BOP mark
   16.8 EOD mark
   16.9 SDM mark
   16.10 FID mark
   16.11 DBM mark
         16.11.1 DBM general information packet
         16.11.2 DBM wrap region packet
         16.11.3 DBM partitions packet
         16.11.4 DBM servo demark packet
         16.11.5 DBM File Mark packet
   16.12 SARS mark
   16.13 DBM checked out mark
   16.14 DBM valid mark
17 Device block format
   17.1 Device block header
        17.1.1 Device block control
        17.1.2 Device block sequence control
        17.1.3 Vendor identification code
   17.2 Device block data
   17.3 Device block trailer
18 ECC
   18.1 CRC
   18.2 Code block
   18.3 ECC encoded code block
   18.4 Codeword correction code generation
   18.5 MIE pointer code generation
   18.6 ECC encoded interleave unit
   18.7 Short error correction code generation
19 Recording of bytes on tape
   19.1 Synchronisation format
   19.2 Interblock gap formatting
   19.3 RLL byte translation
   19.4 Write equalisation bit translation
   19.5 Writing bits on tape
Annex A - Tape abrasivity measurement procedure
Annex B - Media Type Label
Annex C - Measurement of Bit Shift
Annex D - Vendor Identification Code
Annex E - Recommendations for transportation
Annex F - Inhibitor tape
Annex G - Tape durability

The use of a magnetic tape 12,7 mm wide, to specify the physical and magnetic characteristics of a cartridge to provide physical interchange between drives. The quality of the recorded signals the recording method and the recorded format known as Parallel Serpentine, allowing data interchange between drives by means of such cartridges. High speed search, variable length logical records and the use of algorithm for data compression are supported by the format specified in this standard.