3-12
Operating Instructions
500300 Rev. U
•
The drive performs all write commands from BOT at the indicated write density
and changes the operating density to match.
In this mode, you can change the write density by the Density switch, the interface,
or by changing the value of the INITIAL DENS parameter and then loading a tape.
3.7
Abnormal Conditions
3.7.1
The Tape Will Not Load
Although the drive will try several times to load a tape before reporting an error,
there are some conditions that the drive cannot overcome. If a particular reel
exhibits load problems, check the following:
•
Verify the BOT marker is between ten and eighteen feet from the physical
beginning of the tape.
•
Make sure that the tape leader is free of creases and folds and that it is not
sticking to the tape pack.
•
Verify that the reel flanges are not warped so much that they wobble, drag on
the casting or cause the tape to bind.
3.7.2
An Out-Of -Tape-Stop Occurs
The Out-Of-Tape-Stop feature prevents the tape from coming off of the supply reel
in case of a host computer malfunction. This feature is controlled by the EOT-STOP
parameter in the Drive Configuration menu, and is fully described in Section 4.3.2.5.
If the feature is enabled and the tape reaches thirteen feet beyond the EOT marker,
the drive will display
OUT-OF-TAPE-STOP
. It will still respond to a rewind and any
reverse tape motion commands, and you may also manually rewind the tape.
3.7.3
The Tape Comes Off the Supply Reel
In rare instances, all of the tape may be wound on the take up reel and the end will
come off the supply reel. When this happens, the tape will lose tension, the reel
motors will stop, and the drive will display
MOTION FAULT
. This can happen if:
•
There is no EOT marker strip on the tape;
•
The EOT sensor has failed since the tape was loaded;
•
The EOT STOP parameter in the Drive Configuration menu is set to
NO
and the
host continues to send forward tape motion commands to the drive after EOT
has been reported.
To recover from this condition, do the following:
1.
If the drive is mounted in a rack, pull the tape drive towards you so that it
slides partially out of the cabinet.
