TS03 DECmagtape Transport

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TS03 DECmagtape Transport
Drive Controller(s): TM11, TM8-E
Tape speed: 12-1/2 ips (Forward/Reverse)
120 ips (Rewind)
Size: 19"W x 17"D x 10-1/2"H
Weight: 34 lbs


The TS03 DECmagtape Transport was a low-cost, smallish, modest performance magnetic tape drive from DEC.

It is able to store 5 Mbytes on a 600' 0.5" wide tape, on a standard 7" (i.e. small) reel. It supported 9-track operation at 800 BPI only, using NRZI encoding. The tape transport utilized a single capstan, with linear-drive reel servos, and mechanical servo arms to control tape tension.

To connect to UNIBUS machine such as a PDP-11, one of the TM11 series of magtape device controllers was used; the TS03 usually shipped with a TMB11. (Details of the controller-drive interface are given here.) To connect to the OMNIBUS on a PDP-8, a TM8-E Controller was used.

A single controller could handle up to two TS03 drives; the first TS03 drive was a 'Master', and contained a hex-sized M8920 interface board to adapt the TM11 interface to the drive; the additional 'Slave' drive may be connected to the Master drive.

A TS03 drive can be mounted on slides in a standard 10-1/2" mounting space in a normal DEC rack such as an H960.

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