-002 TU81-TA81 Tape Subsystem Users Guide 1985

This document is a comprehensive User's Guide for the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) TU81/TA81 and TU81 PLUS magnetic tape subsystems. Published between 1984 and 1987, it provides detailed information for installing, operating, testing, maintaining, and troubleshooting these tape drives.

The guide describes the TU81 and TA81 as low-cost, dual-speed, 9-track, ANSI standard 1/2-inch magnetic tape systems, featuring microprocessor control, streaming tape techniques for high-speed data transfer, and adaptive speed control. The TU81 PLUS is an enhanced version offering a 256 Kbyte cache buffer for improved performance.

The manual is structured into five main chapters:

1. Subsystem Description: Covers general features, unit variations, tape transport mechanisms, basic and special features, media requirements, functional and physical characteristics, performance evaluation, and interface details (Unibus, Q-Bus, HSC).
2. Operating Instructions: Details control panel functions, operator and diagnostic controls, and procedures for loading, unloading, and running the tape system.
3. Customer Diagnostics: Provides information on troubleshooting, error reporting, power-on health checks, and diagnostic tests.
4. Care and Preventive Maintenance: Offers guidelines for magnetic tape handling, storage, environmental considerations, and maintenance procedures, including cleaning and long-term storage.
5. Installation: Describes site planning, unpacking, mechanical and electrical installation, host interfacing, and acceptance diagnostic tests.

An appendix also covers the installation of a TUR8X add-on, detailing how to integrate an RA80 or RA81 disk drive into the tape drive cabinet.