Ref: 11640068
Title: Checking Tandberg Drives for Correct PROM Levels
Date: 4/9/90

Copyright 3Com Corporation, 1991.  All rights reserved.

If you get tape media errors when running appended backups on a
Tandberg tape drive, incompatibility between the Tandberg drive's
revision number and its PROM version may be the problem.

Tandberg rev 20 tape drives require 6.0 PROMs.  Tandberg tape
drives, rev 17.1 or below, require 4.02 PROMs.

If a Tandberg tape drive uses rev 20 controllers with rev 4.02
PROMs, it may intermittently fail to append data in backup, or
may continue backups onto a second cartridge.

Also, Tandberg tape drives with 2X06 PROMS may show intermittent
media errors.

The problems may occur in any of these situations:

1.  On a full backup with append on the first tape.  (The tape
already contains one good backup on it.)

2.  On a full backup with append going to the second tape.  (The
tape already contains one good backup on it.)

3.  Using 150 MB tapes with /120 command on the TAPE.SYS line in
the CONFIG.SYS file.  Error occurs on a full backup with
append going to the second tape.

These error messages may show in the BACK_LOG file:

    Tape drive error; miscellaneous
    Unrecoverable error; operation halted
    Tape drive error; drive fault
    Unable to write final tape block


How to Find Revision Levels on the Tape Drive

1.  PROM Revision Level

    The PROM rev level can be found two ways:

    a.  Check the back side of the tape unit in case it is
        already written there.

    b.  Turn off the server and take the top cover off.  Pull
        the tape out of the tape unit server.  From the front of
        the server looking to the left of the tape unit you will
        see the revision number 2X06 or 4.02 on the PROM chip.

        If you have difficulty seeing the PROM chip, use a
        flashlight to look through the holes in the top of the
        tape unit.

2.  Tape Controller Revision Level

    To read the rev level of the tape unit controller card, pull
    the tape unit out and turn it upside down.  The rev number
    will appear under the order number.

    Example:   order no 966001
               rev lev 17


Upgrading Your Tandberg Tape Drive

1.  If you have a support contract, call 3Com Tech Support at 1-
    800-876-3COM.

2.  Confirm that your Tandberg tape unit has one of the following
    incorrect PROM-controller combinations:

        PROM rev 4.02 with controller at rev 20
        PROM rev 2X06 with controller below rev 20

    3Com Tech Support will issue a case number to authorize
    return of the unit.

3.  Call 3Com's RMA department to arrange for the upgrade.

    When 3Com's RMA department receives the tape unit the PROMs
    will be upgraded as follows:

    Units with 2X06 PROM with the controller below rev 20 will
        receive a 4.02 PROM.
    Units with 4.02 or 2X06 PROM with the controller at rev 20
        will receive a 6.0 PROM.


Tandberg Tape Drives PROM History

Before 12/87
Version 0.8
This is a beta version that should be upgraded immediately if the
PROMs are at this level.  There are too many problems with it to
document.

12/87
Version 2X06
This version was the first customer release.  Problems include
media errors ("Can't find block" after 24 re-reads, and "Can't
write block" after 16 retries) and append problems ("Can't append
to a second tape").

5/88
Version 4.02
This version is almost identical to the code accepted by IBM for
their Tandberg drives.  It is not compatible with hardware at rev
20 or above; there are problems appending to the same tape.  With
hardware below rev 20 there are no known problems.

1/89
Version 6.0
This version fixes a problem created by Tandberg's hardware rev
20.  If used with hardware below rev 15, the drive will make a
ratcheting sound or will not work.  With hardware at rev 20 or
above, there are no known problems.