IBM 7-track
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IBM's first magnetic-tape data storage devices, introduced in 1952, use what is now generally known as 7-track tape. The magnetic tape is 1⁄2 inch wide, and there are six data tracks plus one parity t
Reel of 1/2" tape showing beginning-of-tape reflective marker
A write-protection ring had to be inserted in the back of a reel to allow its tape to be written on.
A reel of half-inch magnetic tape being loaded onto an IBM 729 tape drive that is attached to an IBM 1401 being restored at the Computer History Museum.
Linear Tape-Open
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Linear Tape-Open, also known as the LTO Ultrium format, is a magnetic tape data storage technology used for backup, data archiving, and data transfer. It was originally developed in the late 1990s as
IBM 7-track
…heads, allowing them to read and write seven-track tapes. As of 2020, IBM still sells magnetic tape cartridge drives using half-inch wide tape in the Linear Tape-Open and 3592 formats. IBM 726 Magnetic tape reader/recorder…
A 400 GB LTO-3 cartridge by Sony
LTO-2 cartridge with the top shell removed, showing the internal components. Top right corner: tape access gate. Bottom left corner: write-protect-tab. Bottom right corner: cartridge memory chip
LTO-3 cartridge with the top shell removed, showing the internal components. Top right corner: write-protect-tab. Bottom left corner: cartridge memory chip. Bottom: tape access gate.
LTO cartridge memory