IBM 3590
 | It has been suggested that this article should be split into articles titled IBM 3590 and IBM 3592 family. (discuss) (October 2007) |
The IBM 3590 family is a family of tape drives and corresponding magnetic tape data storage media formats developed by IBM. The first drive, having the IBM product number 3590, was introduced in 1995 under the nickname Magstar. The next drive was a 3592, and the newest is a TS1120, both having the nickname Jaguar. The Magstar and Jaguar lines of tape drives and media are not compatible with each other. They can store up to 700 GB of data (uncompressed) and have a native data transfer rate of up to 104 MB/s. This family superseded the IBM 3480 Family of tape drives popular in 1980s and 1990s.
All of these tape formats have half inch tape spooled onto 4-by-5-by-1 inch data cartridges containing a single reel. A takeup reel is embedded inside the tape drive. Because of their speed, reliability, durability and low media cost, the 3590 tape drives are still in high demand. A hallmark of the genre is transferability. Tapes recorded with one tape drive are generally readable on another drive, even if the tape drives were built by different manufacturers. Magstar tapes and drives are available in 128, 256 and 384-track versions.
Drives
3590 "Magstar"
- 3590 B Model (3590 B11/B1A), 128 tracks
- 3590 E Model (3590 E11/E1A), 256 tracks
- 3590 H Model (3590 H11/H1A), 384 tracks
Notes
3592 "Jaguar"
- 3592
- TS1120
Notes
Media
3590
| Tape length (m) | 3590 B Model | 3590 E Model | 3590 H Model | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "High-Performance" cartridge | 320 m | 10 GB | 20 GB | 30 GB |
| "Extended High-Performance" cartridge | 634 m | 20 GB | 40 GB | 60 GB |
Notes
- The 320 m long "High Performance" (normal) 3590 cartridges use Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the base material.
- The 634 m long "Extended" 3590 cartridges use Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) as the base material.
- 3590 media datasheet
3592
| Tape length (m) | 3592 J1A drive | TS1120 drive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3592 JJ/JR cartridge | 610 m | 60 GB | 100 GB |
| 3592 JA/JW cartridge | 610 m | 300 GB | 500 GB |
| 3592 JB/JX cartridge | 825 m | 700 GB |
Notes
External links
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