INCITS/ISO/IEC 18809 : 2000

Section 1 - General
1 Scope
2 Conformance
   2.1 Magnetic tape cartridge
   2.2 Generating drive
   2.3 Receiving drive
3 Normative references
4 Terms and 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
   4.42 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 (figures 5 and 6)
   8.3 Holding areas
   8.4 Cartridge insertion
   8.5 Window (figure 1)
   8.6 Loading grips (figures 5 and 7)
   8.7 Label areas (figures 6 and 8)
   8.8 Datum areas and Datum holes
   8.9 Support areas (figure 9)
   8.10 Recognition holes (figures 10, 11 and 12)
   8.11 Write-inhibit hole (figure 11)
   8.12 Pre-positioning surfaces (figures 4 and 10)
   8.13 Cartridge lid (figures 6, 13 and 15)
   8.14 Cartridge reel lock (figures 10 and 16)
   8.15 Reel access holes (figure 10)
   8.16 Interface between the reels and the drive spindles
   8.17 Light path (figures 10, 12, 20 and 21)
   8.18 Position of the tape in the case (figure 21)
   8.19 Tape path zone
   8.20 Tape access cavity (figure 10)
   8.21 Tape access cavity clearance (figure 24)
   8.22 Requirements for the MIC (figures 25 and 26)
   8.23 Recognition recesses (figures 8 and 10)
Section 3 - Requirements for the unrecorded tape
9 Mechanical, physical and dimensional characteristics of
   the tape
   9.1 Materials
   9.2 Tape length
   9.3 Tape width
   9.4 Discontinuities
   9.5 Tape thickness
   9.6 Longitudinal curvature
   9.7 Cupping
   9.8 Coating adhesion
   9.9 Layer-to-layer adhesion
   9.10 Tensile 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
   10.7 Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) characteristic
Section 4 - Requirements for an interchanged tape
11 Format
   11.1 General
   11.2 Basic Groups
   11.3 Sub-Groups
   11.4 Data Block
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
   16.5 Data Area
   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
Annexes
A - Measurement of light transmittance
B - Measurement of Signal-to-Noise Ratio
C - Method for determining the nominal and the maximum
    allowable recorded levels
D - Representation of 8-bit bytes by 10-bit patterns
E - Measurement of bit shift
F - Method of measuring the straightness of track edges
G - ECC calculation
H - Recommendations for transportation
J - Read-After-Write
K - Example of the content of a Basic Group No. 0
L - Examples of MIC chip

Describes the physical and magnetic characteristics of an 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge containing a memory chip to enable physical interchange of such cartridges between drives.