Patent ID: 6305630
Filing Date: 2001-10-23
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A magnetic tape cartridge comprising:a) a cartridge shell defining an enclosure;b) a pair of reel hubs supported within said enclosure;c) a length of magnetic tape extending along a tape path within said enclosure and the length of magnetic tape having opposite ends respectively wound one on each of said reel hubs;d) said length of tape being formed at a first end and a second end with a first pattern of holes to enable automatic identification of said end of said tape and the first pattern of holes defined by a first succession of cells each consisting of one hole at the first end of said tape and a second succession of cells each consisting of two or more closely associated holes arranged across the width of said tape on a line perpendicular to the length of said tape at the second end of said tape; ande) a second pattern of holes having a hexadecimal configuration located between the first succession of cells and the second succession of cells of said first pattern of holes and configured to provide a code to enable automatic identification of the cartridge type or tape type, the hexadecimal configuration having a least significant bit and a most significant bit.