IBM 3588-F3A Tape drive

he IBM TotalStorage 3588 Tape Drive Model F3A is designed for
installation in a IBM TotalStorage 3584 Tape Library to offer high
capacity, performance, and technology designed for the midrange
open systems environment. This model incorporates the new Linear
Tape-Open (LTO) IBM TotalStorage Ultrium 3 Tape Drive, which more
than doubles maximum tape drive throughput data rate performance
over the IBM LTO generation 2 Tape Drive (Ultrium 2). It has a
native data transfer of up to 80 MB/sec. In addition, with the use
of the IBM TotalStorage LTO Ultrium 400 GB Data Cartridge, the 3588
Tape Drive doubles the tape cartridge capacity up to 400 GB native
physical capacity (800 GB with 2:1 compression), as compared to the
IBM Ultrium 2 Tape Drives and cartridges. IBM Ultrium 3 Tape
Drives can read and write LTO Ultrium 2 Data Cartridges and read
LTO Ultrium 1 Data Cartridges. The 3588 Model F3A comes with a
2-Gbps Fibre Channel interface for connection to a wide spectrum of
open system servers.

Other Ultrium 3 Tape Drive enhancements to help improve performance
and reliability include the addition of a new dual stage 16 head
actuator designed to provide precision head alignment, new
independent tape loader and threader motors with positive pin
retention, graceful dynamic breaking designed to maintain tension
to help prevent stretching or breaking the tape and loose tape
wraps, a larger 128 MB internal buffer, and highly integrated
electronics using IBM-engineered copper technology.