----- Original Message ----- From: "Nico de Jong" <nico(a)farumdata.dk> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 1:43 AM Subject: Re: Archive Cartridge Tape Drive 5540C is connector It a Knoppix

I'm not supprised that Knoppix doesn't have support (who really has these laying around), but Linux does have support in the kernel for these things (QIC-80 interfaces). It's called the "ftape" (floppy tape) driver, but of course, I've never tried to use it as I stopped using mine before I started using Linux. It was a pain to back up 200MB hard drives on 80/120MB (high density/XL) tapes, let alone when I "finally got a huge" 540MB drive to put in that machine. It was an IBM 486-based machine, actually 11 years old now, so it is technically on-topic. :) Pat -- Purdue University ITAP/RCS --- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcs/ The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org

Hi I googled around a bit, and noticed that the 5540C comes in a 3.5" form factor. Held together with your statement sayting that it came off a floppy connector, it looks like a competitor to e.g. the BackPac from Microsolutions, TR1, and similar. This points again at the QIC-80 / DC2000 format. Do the cartridges say anything regarding the formatting, e.g. "Rhomat formatted" ? According to google, the 5540C has only a capacity of 40 MB, so what you can use it for today, is beyond me. I have used a lot of time trying to see if modern OS'es could talk to QIC-80 drives, and until now in vain. The best I can come up with, is that Windows versions newer then 95 do not allow you to talk to the hardware directly. I have a 486 with WIN3.11, used exclusively for reading QIC80 and Rhomat tapes. I also found a question identical to yours on www.driversguide.com, but no-one has come up with a solution. This question was 5 years old. So, unless you have some tapes you must read, my opinion is that you should bin it. Nico ----- Original Message ----- From: "Damien Cymbal" <d_cymbal(a)hotmail.com> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 3:07 PM Subject: Re: Archive Cartridge Tape Drive 5540C --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.701 / Virus Database: 458 - Release Date: 07-06-2004

should Well, yes it really was more of an academic exercise. There were these tapes laying around from the mid-90's that I picked up with the system and I was curious if there was anything of interest on them. It's not like there is anything I need. Would this be of any interest to anyone from a historical perspective, or is it truly destined for the great dustbin in the sky.? I've several boxes of DC2000 and DC2120 tapes that came with it.