Dat Cartridge Compatibility; Write-Protecting A Dat Cartridge; Figure 11. Write-Protect Tab On A Dat Cartridge - Certance DAT 24 User Manual

Operation

DAT Cartridge Compatibility

The DAT24 tape drive is designed to use data-grade DDS DAT cartridges that comply with ANSI
specifications listed in the "3.81 mm Helical-Scan Digital Computer Tape Cartridge for Information
Interchange," ANSI X3B5/89-156 standard. To ensure optimal data integrity and reliability, we rec-
ommend using Certance-brand DDS-3 cartridges (CDM24).
The DAT24 drive also recognizes 120-meter MP+ cartridges and other MRS cartridges when MRS is
enabled. MRS cartridges have a series of alternate opaque and clear stripes at the beginning of the
tape. These stripes classify the media as data-grade, rather than audio-grade.
NOTE: A slowly flashing green LED in conjunction with the yellow LED indicates that a prere-
corded audio tape has been inserted in the drive.
Four recognition holes allow the drive to identify the type of tape, determine its magnetic thickness,
and to determine whether the tape is prerecorded or unrecorded or is a cleaning cartridge. Other
cartridge features that allow the drive to optically sense cartridge in are Beginning-of-tape and End-
of-tape.

Write-Protecting a DAT Cartridge

Figure 11 on page 22 shows how to write-protect or write-enable a DAT tape using the sliding write-
protect tab. You can only write data to the tape when the tab is in the closed position.
Write
Enabled

Figure 11. Write-protect Tab on a DAT Cartridge

Write
Protected
DAT Cartridge Compatibility
22