NEC Express5800/AT101a, User Manual, Page: 21 / 108

Notes on Using Your Tape Blade
1-9
USAGE INHIBITION STANDARD
If a data cartridge that you are using is in the case below, you must replace it.
„
When the data cartridge is given a strong shock, for example, when falling, and damaged.
„
When the recording surface is contaminated with liquid, such as soft drink, coffee and tea,
detergent, metal chips or cigarette ash.
IMPORTANT:
If you insert a data cartridge in such a condition into
the Tape Blade, the read/write head or the drive itself may be damaged
or contaminated, causing a machine failure.
Also, if you insert a new data cartridge into the Tape Blade whose head
is contaminated or scratched and you do not know about it, the data
cartridge may be contaminated or damaged. In this way, damage is
expanding.
SERVICE LIFE
The data cartridge is getting wear and tear by reading and writing. To continuously use the wasted
tape, it may become not only a cause of error but also the data damage written in the tape. To
avoid the above situation, you should change the date if it is used for a long time.
Estimated life
Frequency 260 times
Two years under the typical office
environment
Usage life
Five years under the environmental
controlled machine room
Storage life Five years
„
Above estimation may be shortened by the operating environment conditions (temperature,
humidity, dust, etc.)
It is recommended to do the followings to manage the service life of the data cartridge.
„
Assign a management number to a new data cartridge. Enter the number in the data
cartridge label.
„
Create the data cartridge management book. Record the date when each data cartridge is
used and estimate how many years a d how often each cartridge is used.
„
Examine the data cartridge management book and index label regularly. Discard the
cartridges having low reliability, such as long usage cartridge and/or the cartridge with
frequent write/read errors.
The tape magnetic layer is composed of the chemicals and it becomes deteriorated as the time
elapses.
Although the tape service life, which is determined by this deterioration, various greatly depending
on the tape storage environment (humidity, temperature), the tape is generally serviceable for about