81
6 Programmed Magnetic Tape I/O Device Simulations
The simulator provides these magnetic tape device interfaces and their associated peripherals:
•
12559C 9-Track Magnetic Tape Unit Interface
•
13181B Digital Magnetic Tape Unit Interface
•
13183B Digital Magnetic Tape Unit Interface
6.1 12559C 9-Track Magnetic Tape Unit Interface with One 3030 Drive
The 12559C 9-Track Magnetic Tape Unit Interface connects one HP 3030 800-bpi NRZI ½-inch magnetic tape
drive to the HP computer family. The interface consists of two Printed Circuit Assemblies installed in adjacent I/O
slots. The Data PCA is assigned the higher-priority (lower numbered) select code, and the Control PCA is
assigned the lower-priority select code. The MTD and MTC devices simulate these PCAs
Attaching a tape image file simulates mounting a tape reel on a drive:
ATTACH {-R} {-F} MTC {<format>} <image-filename>
Adding the
–R
(read-only) switch is equivalent to mounting the tape without a write ring in place. Adding the
–F
switch and a format identifier declares the tape image format to be used. Supported formats are
SIMH
,
E11
,
TPC
,
and
P7B
. If the
–F
switch and a format identifier are not supplied, then SIMH tape image format is used. Note that
erase gaps embedded in the tape image file are supported only in SIMH image format mode.
If the host operating system returns an error when reading or writing a tape image file, the simulator will report the
error to the simulation console, e.g.:
HP 2100: Magtape library I/O error: No space left on device
If this or another tape library error occurs, e.g., due to an illegal or damaged tape format, the simulator stops with
an appropriate error message. Resuming the simulation will fail the tape operation with Tape Error status. The
target operating system will then react to this error as though the drive had encountered a bad tape block (CRCC or
LRCC error).
Device options that may be specified with the
SET MTC
command are:
Option
Action
FORMAT=<fmt>
Set the tape image format; default is SIMH format
SC=<n>
Set the interface card select codes; defaults are 20/11
ENABLED
Enable the device;
DISABLED
Disable the device; default
The tape image format for future
ATTACH
commands may be set to one of the format identifiers listed above. The
unit must be detached when the format is set.
When entering the
SC
option, specify the lower select code with either device name; the higher select code will be
set automatically, and the cards will be assigned in the correct order.