DATMAN TECHNICAL BULLETIN #014
From: tech@datman.com
To: DATMAN user
Subject: Confused by Python Model Name?
Date: 1998-03-15
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Many of you who own a DDS drive manufactured by Conner Peripherals
under the name of Archive, or Python models are very confused of
what your drive really is. You often wonder whether your drive is
capable of data compression, or whether it is a DDS-2 class drive.
The following table summarizes all the models sold by Conner that we
are aware of.
Model Generation Variations
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4320 DDS (512 KB) 4320NT narrow, OTP
4520NT wide, OTP
4540NT wide, OTP (successor of 4520NT)
4521NT wide, OTP, differential SCSI
4330XT external OTP,
4350XT external OTP,(successor of 4330XT)
4331XT external, OTP, differential SCSI
4590NT internal, OTP, AutoLoader
4590XT external, OTP, AutoLoader
CTD-2004 DDS CTD-2004H-S narrow, Flash
CTD-2004R-S wide, Flash
CTD-2004X-S external, Flash
MS2000DAT Flash
CS2000DAT Flash
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4322 DDS-DC (0.5/1MB) 4322NT narrow, OTP
4322NP narrow, Flash
4542NT wide, OTP
4522NT wide, OTP (special order only)
4542NP wide, Flash
4352XP external, Flash
4592NP internal, Flash, AutoLoader
4592XP external, Flash, AutoLoader
4324 DDS-DC 4324NP narrow Flash
(Turbo) 4324RP wide Flash
4354XP external Flash
4584NP internal, Flash, AutoLoader
4584XP external, Flash, AutoLoader
CTD-4004 DDS-DC CTD-4004H-S narrow, Flash
CTD-4004R-S wide, Flash
CTD-4004X-S external, Flash
MS4000DAT Flash
CS4000DAT Flash
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4326 DDS-2 4326NP narrow, Flash
4326RP wide, Flash
4356XP external, Flash
4586NP internal, Flash, AutoLoader
4586XP external, Flash, AutoLoader
CTD-8000 DDS-DC CTD-8000H-S narrow, Flash
CTD-8000R-S wide, Flash
CTD-8000X-S external, Flash
MS8000DAT Flash
CS8000DAT Flash
Conner Peripherals (now part of Seagate) manufactures the Python and
CTD- series DDS drives and supplies a number of OEM brands. Their
drives do not return their model name to a SCSI INQUIRY command.
Instead, they return the version number of the firmware (how silly).
The firmware names usually look like: 25501-XXX, 25501-008, 25947-XXX,
25588-???, 27871-XXX, 28388-XXX. For example, Python 28388-XXX can
be either a 4322, a 4324, or a 4326 with different capabilities
altogether. We like to use the simplest nomenclature, 4320, 4322,
4324, and 4326 as their base models whose label on the unit may use
one of the names listed above.
All we know is that they all start with 4 and that the suffix alphabets
denote non-electronic (enclosure and font cover) variations. One
reliable rule of thumb seems to be the last digit which allows you to
classify your Python model into one of the four base models. Their more
recent effort in expanding(?) the line of products resulted yet another
series CTD-2004, CTD-4004, and CTD-8000 which correspond to the 4320, 4324
and 4326 respectively. (CTD-2004 is comparable to the 4320, but its
firmware is in flash memory). We suspect the prefix, "CTD" stands for
"Conner Tape Drive" which may again face inevitable change due to their
recent merger with Seagate. While their inability to come to a simple set
of model names is a headache for us all, that is minor in comparison to
our real headache of keeping track of their firmware revisions which
consume at least 10 combinations every month! Their version numbers
ran out long time ago which forced them to resort to alphabets
(4.99 -> 4.Ax). Before long, they will be forced to use Greek letters
and then ultimately Chinese characters which will last a while :-)
If you can read the label on the drive unit, you can tell the drive's
capabilities from the table above. But, if your drive is housed in
an enclosure, it is not accessible. Then, you must rely on what the
drive tells you (by the firmware self identification). If the
ASPI manager (or DATMAN File Engine) displays the 5-digit firmware name
starting with "25..." then, it is most likely a 4320 which is a DDS
drive with no data compression capability. On the other hand, if you
get a name staring with "28..." it is a firmware on flash memory which
cannot tell what the drive really is (this is extremely stupid of the
manufacturer. They don't know the obvious purpose of the SCSI command.)
We have been repeatedly advising Conner of this. Maybe all of you who
agree with us can flood them with E-Mails...
Anyway, the reason the firmware name cannot tell what model you
have is because only one kind of firmware is written and it supports
all flash memory-based models (the 4322, 4324, and 4326) (of course,
the firmware knows what hardware it is dealing with. Just it does
not occur to the programmers at Conner to show it.) While the 4322
and 4324 are very similar in their capability the 4324 is a "Turbo"
model and is supposed to be faster. The 4326 is a DDS-2 model which
can accept a 120m tape (4 GB native).
Then, how can you tell whether you have a 4326 (DDS-2) or not without
looking at the label? We don't know how. If it were an HP drive,
you can insert a 120m (DDS-2) cartridge to the drive. Unless the unit
is a DDS-2 or a DDS-3 drive, the cartridge will be ejected immediately.
Python drives do not behave the same way.
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Note:
OTP: The firmware is in a One-time-Programmable EPROM chip
which is in a socket. Need an new chip to update.
Flash: The firmware stored in a flash memory chip which can be
upgraded by simply loading a firmware update cartridge.
All new models use flash memory.
A more up-to-date reference on Seagate's DDS drives is available at
TB #029 .