Quantum DLT 2000 Handbook page 159

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Looking Back While Moving Forward
One of the key benefits of the DLTtape system is investment protec-
tion. Each new generation of DLTtape system has been compatible
with previous generations. This means that your closet full of
DLTtape IV cartridges recorded at 20GB on DLT 4000 drives or in
DLTtape drive-equipped libraries are readable in the DLT 8000 and
Super DLTtape drives.
Again, this is possible thanks to firmware. Because DLTtape drive
servos and read/write channels are controlled by the drive's firm-
ware, the drive is able to replicate older formats and densities. Of
course, this level of compatibility comes with a price tag. Each new
generation of DLTtape system firmware carries with it the heritage
of its ancestors. Subsequently, the firmware used in the DLT 8000
drive is substantially larger than that found in the DLT 4000 drive.
In fact, a DLT 8000 drive can read tapes recorded on even the earli-
est DLTtape drives, the DLT 260, 600, 2000, and 2000XT.
While Quantum no longer sells DLT 260, 600, 2000, or 2000XT
systems, we have continued to maintain compatibility with them in
new generations of DLTtape systems. This level of commitment
and product adaptability cannot be found in any other line of tape
drive on the market today.
Firmware is the unseen hero of our electronic age. Firmware is at
the heart of the DLTtape system and is a key reason DLTtape sys-
tems are the most reliable, highest performance systems in the
mid-range market today. And, firmware will play a crucial role in
15.6 FIRMWARE