Patent ID: 7161756

Claim:
A tape drive system comprising: a tape drive having a housing with a front panel with an opening therein adapted to receive data cartridges; a data cartridge having a front side and an opposite rear side, said data cartridge also being insertable into said opening of said front panel and, when inserted into and received in said opening in said front panel, said front side being accessible via said opening in said front panel; said data cartridge having a standardized serial port disposed in said front side selected from the group consisting of a standardized USB port and a standardized Firewire port and having an electrical connector projecting from said rear side in data-transferring communication with said standardized serial port in said front side; and tape drive components disposed in said tape drive housing including a further connector for mating with said connector projecting from said rear side of said data transfer cartridge when said data transfer cartridge is received in said opening of said front panel, and said tape drive electronics including a serial controller connected to said connector of said tape drive electronics for effecting transfer of data between said tape drive electronics and standardized said serial port at said front side of said data transfer cartridge.