IBM 7208 342 8mm Tape Unit

The IBM 7208 Model 342 20GB External 8mm Tape Drive is a stand-alone, SCSI, 8mm streaming tape drive packaged in a black enclosure that attaches to the AS/400 family of servers and systems. It provides a media capacity of 20 GB (40 GB with 2:1 compression) data storage per cartridge and a sustained data rate of 3.0 MB per second (6.0 MB per second with 2:1 compression). This is four times the capacity and six times the data rate of the IBM 7208 Model 012. The 7208 Model 342 features data compression hardware using an adaptation of IBM's Improved Data Recording Capability (IDRC) algorithm.

A new level of reliability is obtained in the 7208 Model 342 by incorporating a redesigned 20 GB Mammoth 8mm tape drive with enhanced helical scan and rotating head technology, in a 5.25-inch half-high form factor. It has 40% fewer parts, and features an improved capstanless tape path, dynamic head cleaner, simplified and gentle tape loading, highly integrated electronics and diagnostics, three-point shock mounting, and extensive parametric monitoring on tape and cartridge load motions. In addition to reading and writing on new Mammoth-compatible 8mm advanced metal-evaporated (AME) data cartridges, the 7208 Model 342 also reads other 7.0 GB or 2.3 GB 8mm metal particle (MP) tape cartridges and reads the 5.0 GB MP tape cartridges written by the 7208 Model 012. Providing an excellent migration and interchange path from other 8mm tape drives, the 7208 Model 342 is a cost-effective solution for save, restore, and archiving functions.

Highlights

• Is an external stand-alone tape-drive device.
• Attaches via SCSI cable.
• Uses an SCSI interface for attachment to RS/6000 (7208 models 001, 011, and 341), or uses a differential SCSI interface for attachment to AS/400 (7208 models 002, 012, 222, 232, 234 and 342).

Model Highlights 7208-342

The 7208 Model 342 is a large-capacity, high-performance 8mm tape drive that features:

• Increased tape capacity up to 20 GB native per cartridge (40 GB with 2:1 compression)
• Improved data transfer rate up to 3.0 MB per second (6.0 MB per second with 2:1 compression)
• Improved reliability over the Model 012 and Model 222
• Enhanced helical scan, rotating head technology
• The ability to read earlier 7.0 GB, 5.0 GB, and 2.3 GB 8mm tape formats
• Differential Fast/Wide SCSI-2 attachment (68-pin) that connects to differential fast/wide adapters
• External, self-powered packaging

Description

The IBM 7208 Model 342 20 GB External 8mm Tape Drive features data compression hardware adapted from IBM's Improved Data Recording Capability (IDRC), which provides an effective media capacity of 40 GB (with 2:1 compression) per cartridge and a sustained data rate of up to 6.0 MB per second (with 2:1 compression), depending on the characteristics of the data transferred. User productivity is enhanced with the four times larger capacity and six times improved data rate over the previous 7208 Model 012. It provides a more cost effective and reliable solution for save, restore, and archiving functions.





Hardware Requirements

AS/400

This product can be attached to any AS/400 server or system that supports these AS/400 adapters:

• AS/400 Magnetic Media Controller (#6534)
• PCI Magnetic Media Controller (#2729)

Product Reviews