870013-025 Exabyte 8505XLS 7-14GB 8mm Tape Drive

Description

The 870013-012 is the Exabyte half height 7/14GB 8505XLS internal SCSI 8mm tape drive.

The Exabyte 8700LT was the second drive in Exabyte’s highly succesful half height 8mm format that has gained industry recognition for its quality and reliability. First released in 1987, The standard half height 5.25-inch half height form-factor allows easy installation and integration into most PC servers and workstations.

The tape backup system packed 7GB of native data onto a 160M tape similar to a Hi8 / Sony D8 camcorder video cassette. Applying helical scan recording technology, which had been used in video products for 30 years, Exabyte produced a compact, relatively inexpensive eight-millimeter tape cartridge drive which could hold unprecedented amounts of data.

Unlike other backup formats at the time, the tapes could also be conveniently removed and stored in a vault. The EXB-8700LT was an external desktop, top loading version of the EXB8505XL.

In contrast to conventional tape drive technology, Exabyte’s helical scan device employed relatively slow-moving tape using heads mounted on a rapidly rotating drum. This method offered several advantages contributing to high recording density.

The need for "tight tolerance" was considerably reduced as the tape drive used only one or two short tracks at a time, rather than multiple, lengthier tracks found in conventional parallel track recording. This method meant that recording tracks could be run closer together. In addition, the helical scan technology permitted the tape to run at a slower rate producing far less stress on the tape. In turn, less stress meant that thinner metal particle tape could be used to record at high densities.

Data tapes used by Exabyte in these 8mm format drives do indeed have a width of 8mm but varied in length.

The Exabyte 8700LT half height tape drive is an early generation of the Exabyte 8mm family. It was manufactured by Exabyte for vendors including IBM, Sun and many others for use as external drives targetting both the enterprise as well as later the small business market. This drive format was manufactured in vast quantities and was at one point the most widely used format.

The Exabyte 8700LT offers 5GB native capacity on a single 112M tape at transfer speeds of up to 500KBps or 1.8GB per hour Native.

The Exabyte EXB-8700LT does support data compression, although only the EXB-8700LTXL model has the ability to use the extra length 160M tape media.

The Exabyte 8700LT offers 5GB native capacity or 10GB compressed capacity on a single 112M tape at transfer speeds of up to 1MBps or 3.6GB per hour. Native, the drive provides 5GB of storage capacity with a transfer speed of 500KBps.

The EXB-8700LT model can store up to 7GB (14GB Compressed) by using the longer 160M tape media.

The Exabyte 8700LT was only available in external 50pin SE SCSI and interface versions.

Media Compatibility

Data Cartridge	Native Capacity	Compatibility
Exabyte 8mm 15M data cartridge	608MB	Read and Write
Exabyte 8mm 54M data cartridge	2.4GB	Read and Write
Exabyte 8mm 112M data cartridge	5GB	Read and Write
Exabyte 8mm 160M data cartridge	7GB	Read and Write

This refurbished product comes complete with a full 3 month return to base warranty.

For help and information on Exabyte drive repairs
and repairs of other tape drives please visit Tape-Drive-Repair.com

For Tape Media please click HERE