Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.misc Archive-name: tapedrive-faq Last-modified: 1/14/1995 This a document which answers several questions about tape drives. Information about SCSI drives is not included here since you can find all you want to know at the comp.periphs.scsi FAQ. My thanks to all who mailed me with suggestions and information. Please feel free to correct/add anything, preferably by email. Yaron [1] QIC40/80 [1-1] What is QIC80, QIC40? [1-2] Are those 250MB tape really 250MB? [1-3] I have two floppies. Can I add a tape drive? [1-4] How fast is the tape? Will a dedicated controller speed it? [1-5] Do I need a parallel interface tape? [1-6] Review of several backup software. [1-7] Are Colorado/Conner/Archive/... compatible with each other? [1-8] How does the drive/software know how long is the tape? [2] QIC11,24,120,150,320,525,1000,2GB,10GB [2-1] What are all those QIC? [2-2] R/W Compatibility chart for QIC [9] Names and Addresses [9-1] QIC [9-2] Archive=Maynard [9-3] Colorado Memory Systems [9-4] Iomega [9-5] Irwin [9-6] Mountain [9-7] Wangtek Subject: [1-1] What is QIC80, QIC40? QIC stands for Quarter-Inch Cartridge. QIC80 is the standard for 80MB tapes, QIC40 for 40MB tapes. Both standard allows for extended length cassettes of 300ft which gives 120MB and 60MB respectively. Subject: [1-2] Are those 250MB tape really 250MB? No. It is 120MB. All makers of tape drives now state the *compressed* capacity of the drives assuming 2:1 compression (1.4:1 more typical): stated real Name capacity capacity standard tape length # tracks DC2000 80MB 40MB QIC40 200ft (normal) 15 DC2060 120MB 60MB QIC40 300ft (extended) 15 DC2080 160MB 80MB QIC80 200ft 28 DC2120 250MB 120MB QIC80 300ft 28 DC???? 340MB 170MB QIC80 425ft (extra ext.) 28 For all the recording density is 12500 ftpi; max tape speed is 90 ips. Subject: [1-3] I have two floppies. Can I add a tape drive? It depends. On all modern tape drives: yes. Some old tape drives cannot do this (my old Jumbo). If you have one of this you will have to buy either a 4-floppy controller or a dedicated tape controller. Subject: [1-4] How fast is the tape? Will a dedicated controller speed it? The tape connected through a floppy interface is limited to the floppy speed. On ATs 500Kbit/S. On old XT 250Kbit/S. With card support for 2.88MB floopy, 1Mbit/S. Many of the newer cards support this transfer rate. If the card operate at 500Kbit/S, a dedicated controller card will speed up the tape by two. In many cases, those cards do hardware compression, helping even more. Subject: [1-5] Do I need a parallel interface tape? This tape is used usually for backing up several computers. It needs extrenal power supply. It is more expensive than an internal drive. Subject: [1-6] Review of several backup software. JUMBO TAPE ---------- Small. Not many features but does the work. Seems to work only with colorados drives. Latest version is 4.03. Can be found by archie jumbo403.zip. From "Stan Faullin": Useful DOS program. Has very basic Backup (total, modified, selected), Restore, Compare, Erase and Format functions. Some versions come with a Windows scheduler, but it will NOT run in the background in a DOS window. The compression scheme used in some previous versions is NOT compatible with their latest release, so you may not be able to read backups made with version 3.x with version 4.x. Separate versions of this software are available for their internal model or the parallel port model. Windows: The Lite version supports both parallel port versions and internal versions. The only Windows backup program for a parallel port device, but only supports the Colorado Trakker unit. Can run in the background. Can be found by archie, cbwlite.exe. From "gregb@oclflt.den.mmc.com (gregb)": CMS Trakker 250 is supplied with a "generic" software package: it performs backup, restore, selective backup & restore, compression, compare. It works with DOS and Windows 3.1. For an additional $49.95 ($39?) you can purchase their fancier version. Central-Point backup -------------------- Big. Many many features. Confusing directory selections. Works with most drives. Conner Basic 1.0 ---------------- From "Moshe Braner braner@emba.uvm.edu": useless -- only backs up entire drive. Conner Basic 1.1 ---------------- From: pjk@netcom.com (Phil Koenig) If you got the low-power backup software bundled in -- Conner Backup Basics -- and it is V1.0, you are entitled to a free upgrade from Conner. The new version has an only slightly better addendum to the manual, but the software now is about as flexible as most users would want -- partial backup and restore by directory or file, etc. It has worked well for us, and I recommend that you ask for your copy. From: dmiller@im.lcs.mit.edu (Dick and Jill Miller) I emphasize that v1.1 of Conner Backup Basics fixes many of the prior problems, although its prompts, on-line help and printed documentation still deserve improvement. Conner Exec ----------- From "Moshe Braner braner@emba.uvm.edu": Very large (2.5 megs for DOS version, windows version even larger). Did not work with my parallel-port Conner 250meg QIC-80 drive. QICstream==Conner "Simply Safe Software Backup Basics version 3.0P" ------------------------------------------------------------------- Small and works fine. Works with parallel port Conner drive. Symantec Norton Backup ---------------------- Is included with Norton Desktop for Windows, which is a much better deal than purchasing Norton Backup for Windows alone. Symantec Norton Backup for Windows ---------------------------------- GNU-Tar ------- Can be used with a proper driver?? Subject: [1-7] Are Colorado/Conner/Archive/... compatible with each other? If you use the same software: Yes. If you want to use different software, turn compression off. Compression is done in software on those drives and not compatible. Subject: [1-8] How does the drive/software know how long is the tape? The magnetic tape has holes in it. Inside the cassette enclousre there is a small mirror. The drive sends an IR beam through it. Near the end of tape the drive recieves it. If the IR reciever is dusted, the drive may 'reel off' the cassette. Subject: [2-1] What are all those QIC? (Thanks to Karl-Peter Huestegge and Jan Christiaan van Winkel) QIC-11 is not an Industry Standard and there exist some incompatible versions. Standard Capacity Tracks Speed Rec-density Flux-Trans Cartridges ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- QIC-11 15/30MB (300ft) 4/9 90ips 20/40MB (450ft) 4/9 90ips 6400ftpi DC300XL 10000ftpi DC300XLP 27/60MB (600ft) 4/9 90ips 10000ftpi DC600A QIC-24 45MB (450ft/137m) 9 90ips 8000bpi 10000ftpi 55MB (555ft/169m) 9 90ips 8000bpi 10000ftpi 60MB (600ft/183m) 9 90ips 8000bpi 10000ftpi DC600A QIC-120 125MB (600ft/183m) 15 72ips 10000bpi 12500ftpi DC600A QIC-150 155MB (600ft/183m) 18 72ips 10000bpi 12500ftpi DC600XTD DC6150 QIC-150 250MB (1000ft/305m) 18 72ips 10000bpi 12500ftpi QIC-320 320MB (600ft/183m) 26 72ips 16000bpi 20000ftpi DC6320 QIC-525 525MB (1000ft/305m) 26 72ips 16000bpi 20000ftpi DC6525 * QIC-1000 1000MB (760ft) * QIC-2GB * QIC-10GB Subject: [2-2] R/W Compatibility chart for QIC (The left column should be read: "Tape drives designed for the QIC-??? standard *should* be able to read/write the following Tape formats:".) TAPE-DRIVES | Tape - Formats | designed for: | QIC-11 | QIC-24 | QIC-120 | QIC-150 | QIC-320 | QIC-525 | ----------------|--------|--------|---------|---------|---------|---------| QIC-11 | R W | | | | | | QIC-24 | R W | R W | R | | | | QIC-120 | R - | R - | R W | R | | | QIC-150 | R - | R - | R W | R W | | | QIC-320 | R - | R - | R W | R W | R W | ? ? | QIC-525 | R | R | R W | R W | R W | R W | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [9-1] QIC Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Inc. 311 East Carrillo Street Santa Barbara, California 93101 Telephone (805) 963-3853 Fax (805) 962-1541 [9-2] Archive=Maynard Costumer support, from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm EST 800-227-6296 407-263-3500 BBS 407-263-3502 (300/1200/2400) 407-263-3662 (9600/14400) [9-3] Colorado Memory Systems Voicemail support 303 635-1500 BBS 303 635-0650 FAXback service 800 368-9673 Tech Support 303 635-1501 Phone (United Kingdom) 44-344-773 100 FAX (United Kingdom) 44-344-763 637 BBS (United Kingdom) 44-344-763 216 These numbers may be uncorrect: Product Information/Purchases . 800-845-7905 DOS Computers: Hardware and Software questions ............ 800-845-7906 UNIX/XENIX Computers: Hardware/Software questions ... 800-845-7908 Tech Support .................. 800-432-5858 [9-4] Iomega Tech Support 800-456-5522 [9-5] Irwin Tech Support 800-412-1879 [9-6] Mountain General 800-458-0300 Tech Support 408-438-7897 BBS 408-438-2665 [9-7] Wangtek Voice 805-583-5255 Fax 805-582-8249 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To correct/add/argue, Please email: yak@techunix.technion.ac.il