3.5 Cleaning the Tape Drive
Clean the 7208 Tape Drive tape drive:
After you use a metal particle (MP) tape (such as a 112-meter tape, a 160-meter tape, or all tapes that were compatible with previous
8mm drives)
After a maximum of 72 hours of tape motion
You must clean the tape drive after using MP media. If you use MP media
after using advanced metal-evaporated (AME) media, the LCD prompts you to
clean the tape drive by displaying the message MUST CLEAN.
The 7208 Tape Drive counts the number of hours of tape motion and indicates when it is time to clean the tape drive by displaying the
message CLEAN SOON and turning on the Fault status light.
To clean the tape drive, use only the IBM 8mm Cleaning Cartridge (part number 59H2898). For uninterrupted operation, have one or
more spare cleaning cartridges available.
Attention: Do not operate the 7208 Tape Drive Model 341 in a poor air-quality environment. If your environment contains an excessive
amount of particulates, they may permanently damage the media, the drive, or both. Contact your service representative for more
information.
To load the cleaning cartridge:
1. Make sure that the 7208 Tape Drive power is on and the Power-On Self Test has completed.
2. Grasp the cleaning cartridge by the outer edges, with the window side up and the write-protect switch facing you (refer to Figure 11 in
topic 3.4.1).
3. Slide the cartridge into the opening on the front of the 7208 Tape Drive until the loading mechanism pulls the cartridge into the drive and
the drive door closes.
After the cleaning cartridge has been fully inserted into the 7208 Tape Drive, the remainder of the cleaning process is automatic. The
7208 Tape Drive:
1. Loads the cleaning tape into the tape drive
2. Turns on the Fault status light (if the light is off)
3. Cleans the drive by moving the cleaning tape forward for approximately two minutes (the Fault status light comes on and the message
CLEANING displays)
4. Unloads and ejects the cleaning tape when the cleaning operation is complete
5. Indicates a successful cleaning operation by turning off the Fault status light
The cleaning cartridge can be used for a minimum of 18 cleaning operations. If you attempt to use the depleted cartridge, the 7208 Tape
Drive automatically detects the error, ejects the cartridge, and displays the message DEPLETED. The Fault status light remains on to
indicate that cleaning is still required. Replace the depleted cartridge with a new cleaning cartridge.
7208 Model 341 Setup and Operator Guide
Cleaning the Tape Drive
¦ Copyright IBM Corp. 1997
3.5 - 1
