TU78 Magnetic Tape Transport
From Computer History Wiki
| TU78 | |
| Manufacturer: | Digital Equipment Corporation |
|---|---|
| Media: | standard half-inch 9-track tape |
| Tape density: | 1600 bpi, 6250 bpi |
| Tape speed: | 125 inch/sec |
| Year Introduced: | 1980 or 1981 |
The TU78 was an advanced big magnetic tape drive from DEC, which used 2400' 0.5" wide magnetic tape on a standard 10-1/2" reel. It supports 9-track operation at 1600 and 6250 BPI.
The TU78 supports two data formats: phase-encoded (PE) or group code recording (GCR). Bit density is 1600 bits per inch for the PE format and 6250 bits per inch for the GCR format. The drive can read data in forward as well as reverse direction. It provides pneumatic (vacuum) tape loading.
The TU78 drive is used with a TM78 formatter, which is a MASSBUS controller; a TM78 can handle up to four TU78 drives.
