Peripheral Products


C1511A DAT Drive

Storage - Magnetic Tape Drives Selection:

Name: 6400 Model 1300 DAT Drive
Product Number: C1511A
Introduced: 1990
Division: Computer Peripherals Bristol
Original Price: $7500
Catalog Reference: 1991, page 686
Donated by: Paul Schroeder, HP Australia.

Description:

HP's first Digital Audio Tape (DAT) storage drive. The model 1300H (P/N C1511A) came with an HP-IB interface. The model 1300S (P/N C1512A, $5700) came with a SCSI interface. The DDS tapes had a storage capacity of 1.3 GB. The data transfer rate was 11 megabytes per second.

Collector's Notes:

The museum has three of these units in the collection. One of them is partially functional. If you are not familiar with these drives, be patient. It takes the drive about 20 seconds to complete its self test after power up. It takes about about a minute and a half for the drive to load a tape cassette after the cassette has been inserted. It also takes about two minutes for the drive to eject a tape after the eject button has been pushed.

The power on failure modes of the C1511 are indicated by a solid lower yellow LED and a blinking upper yellow LED. When the upper LED blinks twice, this indicates a faulty buffer PCA. This PCA is internal to the tape mechanism housing. We fixed our faulty unit by replacing the PCA in the far right of the housing (while looking down on the unit from the front of the drive).

We also have four of the drive mechanisms that go within the C1511A/12A. These mechanisms have not held up well over time. Each has a problem of some sort and none will eject a tape properly.

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