IBM 3410 magnetic
tape subsystem
- Announced October 7, 1971 and withdrawn October
20, 1987
The IBM 3410 magnetic tape subsystem was used not only
with the IBM System/360 and System/370 mainframes but
also extended tape storage capability to the small IBM
System/3 for the first time. The 3410 subsystem had
a new, desk-high design with tape reels mounted horizontally
instead of vertically, as in most tape drives. A transparent
sliding cover similar to that of a rolltop desk provided
easy access.
Control circuitry for as many as six tape drives was
built into one of the tape units, eliminating the need
for a separate control unit and saving floor space.
Servicing was performed from the front, so that drives
could be placed as close to a wall as six inches.
The 3410 could read or record data on magnetic tape
at 20,000, 40,000 or 80,000 bytes a second. Major features
included:
- Advanced monolithic circuit technology in both the
control unit and tape drives.
- Dual density, the ability to use tapes recorded
at different densities on the same drive.
- An optical tachometer that made possible precise
control of the speed of the capstan and associated
tape motion.
- Microdiagnostic programs in the control unit that
simplified and sped servicing.
- Simplified tape threading and a push/pull, quick
release mounting hub, permitting fast loading and
unloading of standard tape reels.
The addition of magnetic tape storage for System/3
Model 10 enabled a user to interchange data conveniently
between Model 10 installations by mailing or delivering
tape reels. In the same way, magnetic tape could be
used to interchange data between System/3 and any System/370
or System/360 equipped with IBM 3400- or 2400-series
tape drives.
At announcement, monthly rental for the 3410 ranged
from $240 to $385, depending on the data rate and recording
technique selected. Purchase prices ranged from $10,200
to $16,400.
Initial deliveries of the IBM 3410 were scheduled for
the last quarter of 1972. The subsystem was manufactured
at IBM facilities in Boulder, Colorado, where it was
developed, and in Greenock, Scotland.
| |
Model 1
|
Model
2
|
Model
3
|
Date
rates (bytes per second)
at 1,600 bits per inch (nine-track) |
20,000
|
40,000
|
80,000
|
| at
800 bits per inch (nine-track) |
—
|
20,000
|
40,000
|
| Tape
speed (inches per second) |
12.5
|
25
|
50
|
| Rewind
time (seconds per 2,400-foot reel) |
180
|
180
|
120
|
| Read/write
acess time (milliseconds) |
15
|
12
|
6
|
| Max.
number of tape drives per subsystem |
4
|
6*
|
6*
|
|
* maximum of four drives when attached
to System/3. |
