ISO/IEC 20062:2001
(Main)Information technology — 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge for information interchange — Helical scan recording — VXA-1 format
Information technology — 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge for information interchange — Helical scan recording — VXA-1 format
This International Standard specifies the physical and magnetic characteristics of an 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge to enable physical interchange of such cartridges between drives. It also specifies the quality of the recorded signals, the recording method and the recorded format called VXA-1, and thereby allowing data interchange between drives by means of such magnetic tape cartridges. This International Standard specifies three types depending on the length of magnetic tape contained in the case, referred to as Type A, Type B and Type C. Information interchange between systems also requires, at a minimum, agreement between the interchange parties upon the interchange code(s) and the specifications of the structure and labelling of the information on the interchanged cartridge. If compression is used with this format, it shall be according to International Standard ISO/IEC 15200.
Technologies de l'information — Cartouche de bande magnétique de 8 mm de large pour échange d'informations — Enregistrement par balayage en spirale — Format VXA-1
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 20062
First edition
2001-12-15
Information technology — 8 mm wide
magnetic tape cartridge for information
interchange — Helical scan recording —
VXA-1 format
Technologies de l'information — Cartouche de bande magnétique de 8 mm
de large pour échange d'informations — Enregistrement par balayage en
spirale — Format VXA-1
Reference number
©
ISO/IEC 2001
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© ISO/IEC 2001
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ii © ISO/IEC 2001 – All rights reserved
Contents
Section 1 - General 1
1 Scope 1
2 Conformance 1
2.1 Magnetic tape cartridges 1
2.2 Generating drive 1
2.3 Receiving drive 1
3 Normative references 1
4 Terms and definitions 2
4.1 ac erase 2
4.2 algorithm 2
4.3 Average Signal Amplitude 2
4.4 azimuth 2
4.5 back surface 2
4.6 Beginning of Data (BOD) 2
4.7 Beginning of Tape (BOT) 2
4.8 bit cell 2
4.9 byte 2
4.10 cartridge 2
4.11 Channel bit 2
4.12 Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) character 2
4.13 End of Data (EOD) 2
4.14 End of Partition (EOP) 2
4.15 End of Tape (EOT) 2
4.16 Error Correcting Code (ECC) 2
4.17 File Mark 2
4.18 Logical Block 2
4.19 magnetic tape 2
4.20 Master Standard Reference Tape 2
4.21 Partition 2
4.22 physical recording density 2
4.23 Reference Field 2
4.24 Secondary Standard Reference Tape (SSRT) 2
4.25 Set Mark 2
4.26 Standard Reference Amplitude (SRA) 3
4.27 Standard Reference Current (Ir) 3
4.28 Tape Reference Edge 3
4.29 Test Recording Current (TRC) 3
4.30 Track 3
4.31 Typical Field 3
5 Conventions and Notations 3
5.1 Representation of numbers 3
5.2 Names 3
6 Acronyms 3
© ISO/IEC 2001 – All rights reserved
iii
7 Environment and Safety 4
7.1 Testing environment 4
7.2 Operating environment 4
7.3 Storage environment 4
7.4 Transportation 4
7.5 Safety 4
7.6 Flammability 4
Section 2 - Requirements for the case 4
8 Dimensional and mechanical characteristics of the case 4
8.1 General 4
8.2 Overall dimension 5
8.3 Holding areas 5
8.4 Cartridge insertion 6
8.5 Window 7
8.6 Loading grips 7
8.7 Label areas 7
8.8 Datum areas and datum holes 7
8.9 Support areas 8
8.10 Recognition holes 9
8.11 Write-inhibit hole 10
8.12 Pre-positioning surfaces 10
8.13 Lid 10
8.14 Cartridge reel lock 11
8.15 Reel access holes 12
8.16 Interface between the reels and the drive spindles 12
8.17 Light path 13
8.18 Position of the tape in the case 14
8.19 Tape path zone 14
8.20 Tape access cavity 15
8.21 Tape access cavity clearance requirements 15
Section 3 - Requirements for the Unrecorded Tape 32
9 Mechanical, physical and dimensional characteristics of the tape 32
9.1 Materials 32
9.2 Length 32
9.2.1 Length of the magnetic tape 32
9.2.2 Length of leader and trailer tapes 32
9.2.3 Length of the splicing tape 32
9.3 Width 32
9.3.1 Width of magnetic, leader and trailer tape 32
9.3.2 Width and position of the splicing tape 33
9.3.3 Edge weave 33
9.4 Discontinuities 34
9.5 Thickness 34
9.5.1 Thickness of the magnetic tape 34
9.5.2 Thickness of leader and trailer tape 34
9.5.3 Thickness of the splice tape 34
9.6 Longitudinal curvature 34
9.7 Cupping 34
9.8 Coating adhesion 34
9.9 Layer-to-layer adhesion 35
9.10 Tensile strength 35
9.10.1 Breaking strength 35
9.10.2 Yield strength 35
9.11 Residual elongation 36
9.12 Electrical resistance of the recording surface 36
iv © ISO/IEC 2001 – All rights reserved
9.13 Tape winding 36
9.14 Light transmittance of tape 36
10 Magnetic recording characteristics 36
10.1 Test conditions 37
10.2 Typical Recording Current 37
10.3 Signal Amplitude 37
10.4 Resolution 37
10.5 Signal-to-Noise Ratio 37
10.6 Ease of erasure 38
10.7 Tape quality 38
10.7.1 Missing pulses 38
10.7.2 Missing pulse zone 38
10.7.3 Overwrite 38
Section 4 - Requirements for an Interchanged Tape 38
11 Track Format 38
11.1 General 38
11.2 Physical Logical Block Format 39
11.2.1 Logical Block Set (LBS) 39
11.2.2 Logical Blocks 40
11.2.3 Segment Packets 40
11.2.4 Segment Overhead Packets 40
11.2.5 Skipped Segment Packets 44
11.2.6 Segment ECC packets 44
11.2.7 Segment flush 45
11.3 Track Packet format 45
11.3.1 Virtual Packet Address 45
11.3.2 Local Packet Address 45
11.3.3 Packet data 47
11.3.4 Packet CRC 48
11.3.5 Packet Reed-Solomon ECC 48
11.4 Control packet format 48
11.5 Packet framing sync 51
12 Tape Format 51
12.1 Track elements 52
12.2 Data track format 52
12.2.1 Order of packets in a data track 52
12.2.2 Rewrite 52
12.3 Gap tracks 53
13 Method of recording 54
13.1 Physical recording density 54
13.1.1 Long-term average bit cell length 54
13.1.2 Short-term average bit cell length 54
13.1.3 Rate of change 54
13.2 Bit shift 54
13.3 Amplitude of Data Signals 54
14 Track geometry 54
14.1 General 54
14.2 Track pitch 55
14.3 Average track pitch 55
14.4 Track width 55
14.5 Track angle 55
14.6 Track length 55
14.7 Guard band 55
© ISO/IEC 2001 – All rights reserved v
14.8 Azimuth angles 56
14.9 Track linearity 56
15 Layout of a tape 56
15.1 General 56
15.2 Beginning of Partition 56
15.3 Tape Header Record (THR) 56
15.4 Data area 57
15.5 Tape Directory Record 57
15.6 End of Data 58
15.7 End of Partition (EOP) 58
Annexes
A - Measurement of Light Transmittance of Tape and Leaders 59
B - The Packet ECC 62
C - The Segment ECC 63
D - Generation of the Segment Overhead CRCs 64
E - Generation of the Segment Data CRC 65
F - Generation of the Packet CRC 66
G - Representation of 8-bit bytes by 14-bit patterns 67
H - Measurement of bit shift 75
J - Tape Count 77
K - Recommendations for transportation 78
vi © ISO/IEC 2001 – All rights reserved
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) form the
specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC participate in the
development of International Standards through technical committees established by the respective organization to deal with
particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other
international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the
field of information technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards adopted by
the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as an International Standard requires
approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject of patent rights.
ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 20062 was prepared by ECMA (as Standard ECMA-316) and was adopted, under a special “fast-track procedure”, by
Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology, in parallel with its approval of national bodies of ISO and
IEC.
Annexes A to J form a normative part of this International Standard. Annex K is for information only.
© ISO/IEC 2001 – All rights reserved vii
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 20062:2001(E)
Information technology - 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge for information
interchange - Helical scan recording - VXA-1 format
Section 1 - General
1 Scope
This International Standard specifies the physical and magnetic characteristics of an 8 mm wide magnetic tape cartridge to
enable physical interchange of such cartridges between drives. It also specifies the quality of the recorded signals, the recording
method and the recorded format called VXA-1, and thereby allowing data interchange between drives by means of such
magnetic tape cartridges.
This International Standard specifies three types depending on the length of magnetic tape contained in the case, referred to as
Type A, Type B and Type C.
Information interchange between systems also requires, at a minimum, agreement between the interchange parties upon the
interchange code(s) and the specifications of the structure and labelling of the information on the interchanged cartridge.
If compression is used with this format, it shall be according to International Standard ISO/IEC 15200.
2 Conformance
2.1 Magnetic tape cartridges
A magnetic tape cartridge shall be in conformance with this International Standard if it satisfies all mandatory requirements of
this International Standard throughout the extent of the tape.
2.2 Generating drive
A drive generating a magnetic tape cartridge for interchange shall be entitled to claim conformance with this International
Standard if all the recordings that it makes on a tape meet the mandatory requirements of this International Standard. A claim of
conformance shall state whether or not the registered compression algorithm specified in ISO/IEC 15200 is implemented within
the system to process data from the host prior to allocating data to segment data packets.
2.3 Receiving drive
A system receiving a magnetic tape cartridge for interchange shall be entitled to claim conformance with this International
Standard if it is able to handle any recording on this tape according to this International Standard. A receiving drive shall be
able to recognise the use of the data compression algorithm specified in ISO/IEC 15200.
3 Normative references
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of this
International Standard. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications do not apply.
However, parties to agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying
the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated references, the latest edition of the normative
document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.
ISO/IEC 15200:1996 Information technology - Adaptive Lossless Data Compression algorithm (ALDC)
ISO 527-3:1995 Plastics - Determination of tensile properties - Part 3: Test conditions for films and sheets
1)
ISO 1302:— Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS) - Indication of surface texture in technical product
documentation
ISO/IEC 11576:1994 Information technology - Procedure for the registration of algorithms for the lossless compression
of data
IEC 60950-1:2001 Information technology equipment - Safety - Part 1: General requirements
1) To be published. (Revision of ISO 1302:1992)
© ISO/IEC 2001 – All rights reserved 1
4 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this International Standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
4.1 ac erase: A process of erasure utilising alternating magnetic fields of decaying intensity.
4.2 algorithm: A set of rules for transforming the logical representation of data.
4.3 Average Signal Amplitude: The average peak-to-peak value of the output signal from the read head at a density of
2 740 ftpmm measured over a minimum distance of 100 mm, exclusive of missing pulses.
4.4 azimuth: The angular deviation, in degrees of arc, of the recorded flux transitions on a track from a line normal to the
track centreline.
4.5 back surface: The surface of the tape opposite to the magnetic coating used to record data.
4.6 Beginning of Data (BOD): The point in a partition after which a recording of data for interchange commences.
4.7 Beginning of Tape (BOT): The transition from the tape leader to an opaque area of the splice by which a
translucent leader tape is joined to the magnetic tape.
4.8 bit cell: A distance along the track allocated for the recording of a Channel bit.
4.9 byte: An ordered set of bits acted upon as a unit.
4.10 cartridge: A case containing magnetic tape stored on twin reels.
4.11 Channel bit: A bit after 8-14 transformation.
4.12 Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) character: A character derived from information contained in data bytes that
is used for error detection.
4.13 End of Data (EOD): The point in a partition before which a recording of data for interchange ends.
4.14 End of Partition (EOP): The virtual point along the length of tape at which a partition ends.
4.15 End of Tape (EOT): The transition from an opaque area of the splice to a translucent trailer tape.
4.16 Error Correcting Code (ECC): A mathematical procedure yielding bytes used for the detection and correction of
errors.
4.17 File Mark: A mark recorded on the tape at the request of the host system to separate files or to provide an append
point. This fo
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