Digital Tape Format
Encyclopedia
Digital Tape Format is a magnetic tape data storage
Magnetic tape data storage
Magnetic tape data storage uses digital recording on to magnetic tape to store digital information. Modern magnetic tape is most commonly packaged in cartridges and cassettes. The device that performs actual writing or reading of data is a tape drive...
format developed by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
. It uses a 1/2" wide tape, in a cassette with two reels, which is written and read with a helical scan
Helical scan
Helical scan is a method of recording high bandwidth signals onto magnetic tape. It is used in reel-to-reel video tape recorders, video cassette recorders, digital audio tape recorders, and some computer tape drives....
process. The format is described by the ECMA 248 (adopted June 1998) and ISO/IEC 15731 standards. There are two sizes of tape cassettes, "S" and "L".
Generations
| Generation | DTF-1 | DTF-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Release Date | 199? | 1999 |
| "S" Capacity (GB) | 12 | 42 |
| "L" Capacity (GB) | 60 | 200 |
| Max Speed (MB/s) | 12 | 24 |
Notes:
- Both used ALDC compression
- DTF-2 used Fibre ChannelFibre ChannelFibre Channel, or FC, is a gigabit-speed network technology primarily used for storage networking. Fibre Channel is standardized in the T11 Technical Committee of the InterNational Committee for Information Technology Standards , an American National Standards Institute –accredited standards...
or SCSISCSISmall Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
interfaces - The tape cassettes are similar to those of Sony BetacamBetacamBetacam is family of half-inch professional videocassette products developed by Sony in 1982. In colloquial use, "Betacam" singly is often used to refer to a Betacam camcorder, a Betacam tape, a Betacam video recorder or the format itself....
.
External links
- ECMA 248 Specification of DTF-1. http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ecma-st/ECMA-248.pdf
- ECMA 315 Specification of DTF-2. http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ecma-st/ECMA-315.pdf
- Brochure for DTF-1 drive with specs
- DTF at the Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, including images