ECMA 291 : 1ED 99

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 Secondary Standard Amplitude Calibration Tape
   4.38 Secondary Standard Reference Tape
   4.39 Separator Mark
   4.40 Standard Reference Amplitude (SRA)
   4.41 Tape Reference Edge Typical Field
   4.43 Standard Reference Current
   4.44 Test Recording Current
   4.45 track
   4.46 unprocessed data
   4.47 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
   8.22 Requirements for the MIC
   8.23 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 the magnetic tape
         9.2.2 Length of the leader and trailer tapes
         9.2.3 Length of the splicing tapes
   9.3 Tape width
         9.3.1 Width of the 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 the leader and trailer tapes
         9.5.3 Thickness of the 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 structure
   15.2 Positioning accuracy
   15.3 Tracking scheme
16 Layout of the 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 Logical End Of Tape (LEOT)
   16.9 Logical Beginning of Tape (LBOT)
   16.10 Early Warning Point - EWP
   16.11 Empty Partition
   16.12 Initialization
17 Housekeeping Frames
   17.1 Amble Frames
   17.2 System Amble Frames
18 Content of the MIC
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
Annex L - Examples of MIC chip

Magnetic and physical characteristics of an 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge containing a memory chip to enable physical interchange of such cartridges between drives is specified in this Standard. Recording methods, signals and the recorded format called Advanced Intelligent Tape No. 1 with Memory In Cartridge (AIT-1 with MIC) allowing data interchange between drives by means of such magnetic tape cartridges is also specified M1C records the System Log. 2 Types of cartridges are specified depending on the thickness of the magnetic tape contained in the case.