Design Of The Drive - DEC VAX 4000 300 Manual

Figure 3–8: TK70 Tape Drive
Orange Light
Yellow Light
Green Light
Unload Button
Handle

3.1.3.1 Design of the Drive

The TK70 tape drive operates like a reel-to-reel tape deck. Inside the drive
is a take-up reel with a leader attached. Inside the cartridge is a single
reel containing the magnetic tape. When you insert the cartridge and push
in the handle, the leader in the drive automatically couples with the leader
in the cartridge, and the tape winds onto the take-up reel. The coupling
and winding process is called loading. When the automatic loading process
is complete, the tape is ready to use.
Once the cartridge is loaded, you cannot remove it without rewinding and
uncoupling the leaders, a process called unloading. Even if you have not
used the tape, you must unload it before you can remove the cartridge.
When you press the Unload button, the tape rewinds into the cartridge
and the leaders uncouple.
3–20 VAX 4000 Model 300 Operation
MLO-002292