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Ticket Hash: 0b945bb010af4acf25849839952ca90bb2d18e56
Title: Tape support
Status: Closed Type: Feature_Request
Severity: Important Priority: Immediate
Subsystem: Resolution: Fixed
Last Modified: 2024-05-26 14:47:01
Version Found In:
User Comments:
ams added on 2020-10-05 14:10:31:

It would be great to have support for a tape drive.


ams added on 2020-10-05 14:23:25:

The tape drive used on the CADR was interfaced using a Western Peripherals TC-131 Controller (see SYS: LMTAPE; TAPE LISP from System 78). The following addresses seem to have been used:

(defvar *TAPE-STATUS-REGISTER* #O772520)
(defvar *TAPE-COMMAND-REGISTER* #O772522)
(defvar *TAPE-MTCMA* #O772526)
(defvar *TAPE-MTBRC* #O772524)

System 98 and 99 also use this register set, and it seems from a quick glance that the same type of controller is used.


ams added on 2020-10-05 14:30:22:

The following document exist at Bitsavers on the TC-131:


ams added on 2020-10-05 14:38:05:

System 99 added support for the (Ciprico?) Tapemaster.


ams added on 2020-10-05 14:41:02:

From SYS: TAPE; NEW; WEUNIT LISP (System 99):

;;; Flavors defined in other files:
;;; WEUNIT: WESPERCO-UNIT (used on the CADR, Unibus)
;;; TMUNIT: TAPEMASTER-UNIT (used on the Lambda, multibus)
;;; RMUNIT: RM-UNIT (remote protocol, seems to be CHAOS-independent)

ams added on 2024-02-15 19:19:00:

BV is working on this.


ams added on 2024-05-26 14:47:01:

BV implemented TAPE suppor via Chaosnet. One needs the new TAPE subsystem though. Closing.