TITLE    : Magstar tape and drive compatability information.
OS LEVEL : AIX
DATE     : 09/06/2000
VERSION  : 1.0

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


TAPE DRIVES:-
-------------

There are two versions, or formats of the tape drives:

Magstar MP B-Series (orginal)
Magstar MP C-Series

The Magstar MP C-Series tape drive can be distinguished from the Magstar MP 
B-Series tape drive by the color of the unload button on the drive front panel. 
The C-Series unload button is green while the B-Series unload button is blue.


TAPE CARTRIDGES:-
-----------------

There are three versions, or formats, of 3570 tape cartridges:

B-Format (original)			(Blue tab)
C-Format				(Green tab)
C-Format XL (eXtended Length)		(Red Tab)


Description 			Native		Barcode 	Protect
				Capacity	LabelFile	Switch
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleaning Cartridge		N/A		FCLNxxx		Gray
B-Format Tape Cartridge		5GB		Fxxxxxx		Blue
C-Format Tape Cartridge		5GB		Gxxxxxx		Green
C-Format XL Data		7GB		Hxxxxxx		Red


The B-Format cartridge is fully read/write compatible between all Magstar MP 
tape drives. The C-Format cartridge enables the performance features of the 
Magstar MP 3570 C-Series Tape Subsystem. The C-Format XL cartridge increases 
the data capacity from 5GB to 7GB native, 21GB with 3:1 data compression

The original B-Format tape cartridges can be written, read, and interchanged 
between Magstar MP 3570 B-Series Tape Subsystems, Magstar MP 3570 C-Series 
Tape Subsystems, and all tape drives in the 3575 Tape Library Dataserver. 

The newer C-Format and C-Format XL tape cartridges can only be written, read, 
and interchanged between Magstar MP 3570 C-Series Tape Subsystems and the 
Magstar MP Model C Tape Drives feature of the 3575 Tape Library Dataserver. 

The C-Format and C-Format XL tape cartridges cannot be used in Magstar MP 
3570 B-Series Tape Subsystems or in Magstar MP 3570 Model B1A tape drives 
in a 3575 Tape Library Dataserver.

Note: A particular level of microcode or higher is required to be able to use 
the C-Format XL cartridges. If the required level of microcode is loaded, a label,
which reads XL READY, will be posted on the rear of the unit (next to the serial 
number label).

When B-Format cartridges are used in the C-Series tape drives, the tape drives 
operate with better performance than the B-Series tape drives.