I'm trying to restore a Data General MV/2500
(c.1989) which contains what DG referred to as a '130MB CTD'. It's actually a
Fujistu M2451A.
My question is: what is the latest generation of DLTs that I can use in the drive? Will
DLTtape III cartridges work or do I have to try to find CompacTape IIs from somewhere?
I know that TK50's and TK70's cannot use DLTtape III cartridges. Coercivity of the
magnetic media is wrong. Some of the mid-generation DLT drives can read TK50 and TK70
CompacTapes but cannot write them.
I don't have any actual experience with the M2451A. I am guessing that it is something
like a DEC TZ30. For all I know, maybe Fujitsu made the TZ30! It "smells"
different than the DEC and Quantum drives and I've often wondered about that.
That's a tough nut, restoring a system to use a tape drive for which you have no
media.
If you had old media to read, then it would be far easier to justify some effort.
Is the M2451A a SCSI drive? Just hoping out loud that it is, and that the DG OS
doesn't care about drive maker, in which case you could use a far more available
cartridge drive and carts instead.
Tim.