View source for TU30 Magnetic Tape Transport

{{Infobox Tape drive
| name = TU30
| tape density = 200/556/800 bpi
| tape speed = 75 ips (Forward/Reverse)<br>225 ips (Rewind)
| transfer rate = 60 kHz at 800 bpi
| size = 30"W x 25"D x 69"H (in cabinet)
}}
The '''TU30 Magnetic Tape Transport''' was a [[magnetic tape drive]] from [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]]; it required a [[device controller|controller]] to connect to its host machine. The transport section was a D3030 [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEMed]] from the DATAMEC division of [[Hewlett-Packard]]. It was used with the [[PDP-8]] (with the [[TC58 Tape Control Unit]]), the [[PDP-9]] (with the [[TC59 Tape Control Unit]]), the [[PDP-15]] (ditto), and the [[PDP-10]] (with the [[TM10 Magnetic Tape Control]]).

It could store 5-23 Mbytes on a 2400' 0.5" wide [[magnetic tape]] carried on a standard 10-1/2" reel. The TU30 supported either 7-track operation at 200, 556, and 800 BPI, or 9-track at 800 bpi. 

The tape transport utilizes a single pinch roller capstan, with vacuum columns. The TU30 drive contains a fair amount of [[electronics]], in the form of [[FLIP CHIP]] modules in a 19" wide [[wire-wrap]] [[backplane]] (mounted horizontally in the base of the cabinet).

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==External links==

* [http://www.bitsavers.org/www.computer.museum.uq.edu.au/pdf/DEC-10-H4GA-D%20PDP-10%20TU30%20Tape%20Transport%20Maintenance%20Manual%20Volume%201%20Logic%20Package.pdf TU30 Tape Transport Maintenance Manual - Volume I: Logic] (DEC-1O-H4GA-D)

[[Category: DEC Tape Drives]]