RV20 Optical Disk Subsystem Owner's Manual

This document is the Owner's Manual (EK-ORV20-OM-001) for the RV20 Optical Disk Subsystem by Digital Equipment Corporation, published in January 1988.

The manual provides comprehensive information for the everyday user of the RV20 optical disk drive, which is a random-access, mass storage device using laser technology to write data once onto 12-inch removable optical disks (1 gigabyte per surface) and read it an unlimited number of times. The RV20 subsystem can comprise up to four drives within a single cabinet.

Key areas covered include:

1. Overview: A basic description of the RV20 drive and subsystem, including its architecture (master/slave configuration, internal ISI bus, LESI interface to VAX hosts), detailed physical, environmental, and electrical specifications, and crucial safety information regarding its Class 1 laser system and general handling precautions.
2. Software Interaction: Although a disk drive, the RV20 is seen by the VMS operating system as a "tape device" due to its write-once characteristic. This chapter explains how common tape commands (like MOUNTS, BACKUPS, COPYs) are used, the implications of initializing and "overwriting" data (which uses logical pointers and renders old data unrecoverable), handling end-of-volume and bad sectors, and strategies for improving performance (e.g., cataloging file positions, optimizing block sizes).
3. Operation: Practical instructions for operating the RV20, detailing the front panel controls and indicators, power-up procedures, and steps for loading, spinning up/down, unloading, and write-protecting disks (both via the front panel switch and a physical tab on the disk cartridge).
4. Testing: Procedures for performing automatic self-tests on the RV20 drive via a "Master Reset" and guidance on troubleshooting if these tests fail, including interpreting error codes for Digital Field Service.
5. Maintenance and Problem Solving: Essential user-level maintenance tasks, such as cleaning and replacing the air filter, and instructions for disassembling a disk cartridge to clean the optical disk or replace a damaged cartridge. It also includes a table of common problems encountered during normal use and suggested corrective actions before contacting Digital Field Service, along with an overview of various repair services offered by Digital.