A-Series Tape Drive User's Guide

Cleaning the Tape Mechanism

Quantum A-Series Tape Drives User’s Guide 66

Compatibility of the

Cleaning Tape

The SDLT CleaningTape is intended for use in SDLT 600A tape drives

Alternatively stated, the SDLT CleaningTape only cleans the SDLT MRC

heads.

Loading the Cleaning

Tape Into a Tabletop Tape

Drive 2

Follow these steps to load an SDLT CleaningTape into an SDLT 600A

tape drive:

1 Insert the cleaning tape, with the Front Slide Label Slot facing

outward, into the tape drive until the tape drive engages with the

cleaning tape and begins to take up the cleaning media. The green

Drive Status LED flashes and the cleaning cycle begins automatically.

2 When the cleaning cycle completes, the cleaning tape automatically

ejects from the tape drive and the yellow alert LED turns off.

Remove the cleaning tape, place it back into its plastic case, and mark the

label after each cleaning.

LTO-3A 2

Excessive tape debris or other material can accumulate on the tape heads

if the drive is:

• Used with non-approved media

• Operated in a hot, dusty environment

When this happens, the drive can experience excessive errors while

reading or writing, and illuminate the amber Status LED continuously

during operation. This means that the drive needs to be cleaned.

The LTO cleaning cartridge has the same dimensions as the tape cartridge

and contains an LTO Cartridge Memory (LTO-CM), but is loaded with

cleaning media instead of recording media. Always keep the LTO

cleaning cartridge in its protective case when not in use.

To clean the A-Series LTO-3A tape drive:

1 Load an LTO cleaning cartridge into the tape drive.

Note: On the last cleaning, the cleaning tape will not eject. Use

the

Eject button on the front of the tape drive to eject the

expired cleaning tape and dispose of the cleaning tape.