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From: jmonroy@netcom.com (Jesus Monroy Jr)
Subject: QIC Vol.1 Special Edition #5
Message-ID: <jmonroyCD4vCw.313@netcom.com>
Keywords: QIC News Notes SCSI Tape drives
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1993 10:19:43 GMT
Lines: 204
Released
+----------------------------------------+
QQQQQQ II CCCCCC
QQ QQ II CC N E W S and N O T E S
QQ QQ II CC for 386bsd-Linux-Mach-OS/2
QQ QQ II CC (and sometimes minix & coherent)
QQQQQQ II CCCCCC Vol.1 Special Edition #5
QQ (r)
Quarter Inch Cartridge (Tape Drives)
+----------------------------------------+
News about QIC-40/80
From the desk of the quasi-editor-in-chief:
"Just because I am numbering these things don't get the idea
that I am going to do any more of these".
(Disclaimers move to bottom.. getting to big.) (crowd:YEAH!!)
*=======================================*
| Tabloid Contents |
*=======================================*
| <1>__ The Meeting itself |
| <2>__ The Responses to Requests |
| <M>__ Meaningless dribble. |
| <N>__ NEXT ISSUE |
*=======================================*
hint: search for "<?>__"
<1>__ The Meeting itself
For those with that indescribable quench to get more
information on QIC, here it is. The meeting notes will be
mailed on Tuesday, till then here are some of my notes.
On Wensday, 09-01-1993, the Technical Committee for the QIC
meet. There was some discussion on various uninteresting
items before the various subcommittees reported. Here is a
breakdown of the reports by committee. Also, I had to leave
early and missed the last half of the "Minicartridge" meeting
and the entire "Cartridge" meeting.
ID (Industry Development) committee
-----------------------------------
A Buyers' Guide will be available later this year.
In addition, a Market Perspective - Why buy QIC - will also be
available. A set of European conference is also planned for
the end of January and early February. Lastly, the QIC group
is still waiting for ANSI approval of a SCSI II implementation.
At this time a rumor ensued that possibly the
SCSI-II standards would not be published. The speculation
followed that this was possible because of SCSI-III is in
progress. A member of the SCSI-II committee was present and
quickly quashed the rumor by stating that the editor and some
members were in a disagreement as to the semantics of SCSI-II
and that ANSI documentation would be available, in time.
Central Point Software suggested some possible new
additions to the QIC "standard" procedures. Namely, that each
QIC device should have REV (revision) query support built-in to
the firmware, so that software designers can take full advantage
of any new features available. The idea was sent to committee
and is scheduled for full discussion later this year.
At the same time a suggestion was made that a
"Revision History Page" now be made part of all QIC printed
standards. The action was voted on immediately and history
pages will now be a part of all QIC standards published in the
future. A retroactive history scan was requested so that
previous QIC documents could have a history page. The item
was shelved for full discussion later this year.
Widetape subcommittee
---------------------
The Technical committee approved the lock out feature as
proposed. The question as to 3M's patent on the lock out
feature was resolved.
Interface and format subcommittee
---------------------------------
Some SCSI drives will have appendable point for file
marks as an option. A previous proposals had it as required
for all new drives. It was marked as optional to preserve
the usefulness of units already in field service.
Minicartridge subcommittee
--------------------------
The proposal was passed to add hardware recognition of
a cleaning tape via a physical cutout.
IOMeg had concerns with SCSI interface for the proposed
93-55C. Once completed the drive will be a 750 Mega-byte
unit. Their concerns were:
1. The drive may not technically feasible.
2. Without the upward compatible 2 Gigabyte drive specs
this drive would be difficult to sell.
3. The overlap on read/write track seems to be excessive;
the standard calls for servo tracks to be used.
4. Writing to the physical edge of the tape may make data
unreadable in the future, if it is written at all.
The proposed 400' minicartridge was left as an open item.
I don't have any copies of these proposed changes.
So, the alternatives are - wait till the changes are done and
approved _or_ write the QIC Facilitator and ask for a copy
of the proposals. (See QIC News and Notes vol.1 no.1 for
the Facilitator's address and phone number.)
--------------------------oOo----------------------------
<2>__ The Responses to Requests
1) Ask for a field in the QIC-80 to indicate an
experimental file system on the tape.
Response:
More than one member of the QIC group suggest that for
experimental file systems the VENDOR UNIQUE BIT
be used in the Volume Information Segment. Please
refer to the QIC document that applies to you. For
QIC-40/80 tapes it is the QIC-40/80 documents.
(More on how to apply this in regular issues of
QIC NEWS and Notes.)
2) Ask that all QIC specifications and standards be
keep in electronic format.
Response:
The request was met with enthusiasm by the
facilitator and the people at Wangtek and Archive.
A promise was made to look into the feasibility of
the situation. They asked me to call them on this
later this month.
3) Ask that the Facilitator keep the standards information
on an accessible resource (BBS, FTP, UUCP, e-mail, etc.).
Response:
As mentioned they will look in to the matter, but of
course for us FTP would be the most acceptable
solution. etext.archive.umich.edu will get the first
opportunity to be the FTP site, but in the
eventuality that they do not have the facility for
this other sites will be solicited.
<M>__ Meaningless dribble.
"My idea of the perfect date is: I want to take them out.
Take them home. I want to cum on their back.
Steal $30,$40 dollars out of their purse.
Crawl out a window and never call them again."
-Sam Kinison
-Have you seen me lately?
A 10 to the 11th power bit memory Resource was available in 1960
at LLNL (Lawerance Livermore National Laboratory).
GOB - Generous Omnipotent Benefactor - The operating system in
use at LLNL in 1963. In russia, please spell backwards.
___________________________________________________________________
<N>__ NEXT ISSUE
o.... "Documentation. Us and Them."
o.... QIC devices on the port/IRQ level.
o.... "Update on the tape drives that work!"
====================================================
"QIC" is a registered trademark of the
Quarter-Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Inc. (QIC).
This publication is not affiliated with "QIC" or "QIC DATA NEWS".
All comments, issues, and errors are only attributable
to the quasi-editor-in-chief.
Back issues of QIC NEWS and NOTES are available via "anonymous"
FTP at etext.archive.umich.edu in /pub/Zines/QIC-News.
IF you have specific questions, don't be afraid to send them
to:
jmonroy@netcom.com
subject: [QIC NEWS and NOTES: question]
___________________________________________________________________________
Jesus Monroy Jr jmonroy@netcom.com
/386BSD/device-drivers /fd /qic /clock /documentation
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