DEC-TU80-StreamingTapeSubsystem

The TU80 is Digital's low-cost, high-reliability, industry-compatible streaming tape subsystem designed for UNIBUS computers and midrange applications. It adheres to the ANSI standard for Phase Encoding (PE), using 9-track, half-inch tape at 1,600 bits per inch, offering 40 Mbytes of capacity.

Key features include:

• Adaptive Speed Control: Automatically switches between 25 and 100 inches per second (ips) streaming, and 25 ips start/stop modes, based on CPU data I/O rates. It can also read in both forward and reverse directions for faster data retrieval, achieving a maximum data transfer rate of 160 Kbytes per second.
• High Reliability & Data Integrity: A simplified design eliminates many mechanical components, relying instead on a microprocessor-based servosystem with air bearings for gentle tape handling. Data integrity is ensured through read-after-write verification, vertical parity checks, and Phase Encoding algorithms for single-track error correction, including automatic read retries.
• Ease of Use & Serviceability: Requires minimal maintenance (just head cleaning), includes self-test diagnostics, and offers extensive fault-isolating diagnostics with front-panel access for easy repair. It features a simple, 13-inch tape path for fast manual loading.
• Compact Design: Housed in a quiet, waist-high cabinet suitable for office environments, it can integrate with an RA80 or RA81 disk subsystem.
• Low Cost of Ownership: Achieved through competitive pricing, low maintenance requirements, and reduced power consumption.

The TU80 is ideal for sustained tape I/O applications such as disk backup, data archiving, high-speed test data recording, journaling, and transaction processing, while also supporting traditional start/stop data processing.