Sony LTO Ultrium 1, 2 ,3 Tape Cartridege FAQ's Section
LTO Ultrium
Linear Tape Open
Massive Storage Capacity; LTO-1: up to 200GB, LTO-2:
up to 400GB and LTO-3: up to 800GB (Compressed)
Taking tape materials and coating technology to new heights, LTO-3 offers a breakthrough in performance with a massive 400GB native and 800GB compressed storage capacity per cartridge. Reduced tape thickness is one of the keys to attaining higher storage capacity in the LTO-3 cartridge. To assure tape travel stability and optimum
winding with this thinner tape, Sony reassessed the back surface design and adopted a suitable lubricant.Five pre-written servo bands enable the head block to write and read the data track accurately.
Ultrium Technology Roadmap
| LTO Generation | LTO 1 | LTO 2 | LTO 3 | LTO 4 |
| Capacity (Native) | 100GB | 200GB | 400GB | 800GB |
| Transfer Rate (Native) | 20~40MB/s | 40~80MB/s | 80~160MB/s | 160~320MB/s |
*NB: Please note that the above graph and chart are based on projections by The LTO Technology Provider Companies and that all values represent targets.
Maximum Data Transfer Rate of LTO-1: 40MB/s, LTO-2: 80MB/s and LTO-3: 160MB/s (Compressed)
Using pre-written servo bands, data transfer rates of 80-160MBps are now possible with LTO3. These servo bands prevent the head block from straying off the data track, so the head block stays precisely aligned with the data track at all times.
High-Speed access with LTO Cartridge Memory (LTO-CM)
Data position, cartridge history and media error information are stored on a 4KB memory chip. Data in the built-in chip lets the library system search the recorded data at a higher speed than if it searched the tape alone. Also, since this chip is a non-contact type, it can provide a longer service life than a conventional contact-type chip.
Highly reliable, durable tape technology
LTO tape’s thin magnetic layer enables high-density recording and high-output reading of data. This tape technology provides high frequency performance, while maintaining a low-error rate. For durability, Sony’s unique binder system and magnetic particles help assure a robust tape that resists oxidation and supports recording
and reading of data over the long term.
| MODEL NAME | LTX 100G LTO-1 | LTX 200G LTO-2 | LTX 400G |
| GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS | |
| Magnetic Material | Metal Particle(MP) |
| Recording Capacity (Compressed*) | 100GB (200GB*) | 200GB (400GB*) | 400GB (800GB*) |
| PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS | |
| Tape Width (mm) | 12.65 |
| Tape Thickness (ìm) | 8.9 | 8.0 |
| Minimum Tape Length (m) | 609 | 680 |
| Electric Resistivity(Magnetic Coating:/sq) | 1X10(6) |
| Electric Resistivity (Backcoating:/sq) | 1X10(4) |
| Built-in IC Memory (Byte) | 4096 |
| ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS | |
| Operation Conditions (°F(°C);%RH) | 50~113 (10~45);10~80** |
| Storage Conditions (°F(°C);%RH) | 60~90 (16~32);20~80** |
| Transportation Conditions (°F(°C);%RH) | -9~120 (-23~49);5~80 ** |
| DIMENSIONS | |
| Cartridge dimensions (mm) | 102.0x105.4x21.5 |
* Compression ratio 2:1.
** Maximum wet bulb temperature: 79°F(26°C) at no condensation
*Data Media Cartridge Tape Care & Handling Tips
Others Alternative
Yes, overall ther are two alternative tape storage standards to LTO include DLT/SDLT and AIT.
DLT (Digital Linear Tape) is a magnetic tape format developed by DEC (now Hewlett-Packard). DLT tapes are 1/2 inch wide and are packaged in study plastic containers. DLT tapes store between 10GB and 40GB of uncompressed data. A SuperDLT(SDLT) II tape can store up to 300GB of uncompressed data and can transfer as much as 36MB per second.
AIT (Advanced Intelligent Tape) is a magnetic tape format developed by Sony. AIT tapes contain non-volatile memory called Memory-in-Cassette (MIC). This storage space contains data about the tape which can be read quickly by a tape drive, without having to read data from the slower magnetic media.
Capacity Transfer Rate
LTO:
| Generation | Capacity | Transfer rate |
|---|
|
| LTO-3 (current) | 400GB | 80MB/s |
| LTO-4 | 800GB | 120MB/s |
| LTO-5 | 1.6TB | 180MB/s |
| LTO-6 | 3.2TB | 270MB/s |
SDLT:
| Generation | Capacity | Transfer rate |
|---|
|
| SDLT600 (current) | 300 GB | 36 MB/s |
| SDLT-5 | 1.5-1.75 TB | 100-125 MB/s |
| SDLT-6 | 3-3.5 TB | 200 – 250 MB/s |
| SDLT-7 | 6-7 TB | 400-500 MB/s |
SAIT:
| Generation | Capacity | Transfer rate |
|---|
|
| SAIT-1 (current) | 500 GB | 30 MB/s |
| SAIT-2 (released soon) | 1 TB | 60 MB/s |
| SAIT-3 (later this decade) | 2 TB | 120 MB/s |
| SAIT-4 (ca. 2010) | 4 TB | 240 MB/s |
|
