Quantum DLT 2000 Handbook page 113

When the developers at Metrum-Datatape Incorporated went
looking for an off-the-shelf tape drive to incorporate in their
Multi-Application Recorder/Reproducer (MARS-II), they quickly
discovered that the DLTtape system offered exactly what they
needed. MARS-II systems are used to record critical flight and
instrument data during testing of prototype military aircraft,
avionics, and weapons. The DLTtape system offered Metrum-
Datatape a cost-effective, highly reliable system that could with-
stand the rigors of military use.
Metrum-Datatape standardized on DLTtape systems for the MARS-
II system because of the technology's inherently stable tape tracking
mechanism, because it offers an upward migration path within the
same footprint, and media compatibility among different DLTtape
drives. This last feature was important because the DLTtape car-
tridges used during flight tests were then sent to labs for data analy-
sis. Many researchers already had DLTtape drives in their systems
and could read the flight tapes without having to convert the data.
Geophysical Data Collection
Geophysical data collection is usually associated with the collection,
archiving, and distribution of seismic data used in oil exploration.
"Well-head logging" is the collection of seismic data generated by a
series of explosions set off in an array of exploratory drill holes –
an array that can cover hundreds of square miles. Seismic explo-
ration is expensive, and is carefully regulated by governments,
which limit where and how often seismic shots can be carried out.
It's critical for the exploration company to collect the maximum
amount of data from each seismic shot. That means setting up a
data acquisition system that can accept masses of data in real-time.
QUANTUM DLTtape HANDBOOK 10.9