Formatted Pertec Tape Drive Emulation - TES-2

The Arraid TES-2 system provides a new and warranted equipment replacement for aging and refurbished reel-to-reel, .5" (half inch) 9 track tape drives that adhere to the industry standard, Formatted Pertec Protocol. The TES-2 is plug-compatible with the original Pertec 9 track formatted interface tape drive, while using current and reliable SCSI drive technology to store data. No host system software or controller changes are required to replace a refurbished 9 track tape drive with the TES-2. The TES-2 provides a complete bridge between the host 9 track Pertec formatted tape controller and the TES's SCSI drive, replacing tape reels with currently produced magneto optical removable cartridges. Free yourself from difficult 9 track tape reel loading procedures, failing tape sensors, and vacuum pumps. Pertec formatted 9 track tape drives have been widely used on computer systems since the late '70s with specialized operations and hardware that can not be rehosted on a simple PC. The TES-2 offers a new equipment replacement for failing Pertec 9 track tape drives. While refurbished Pertec 9 track tape drives are available, refurbished tape drives commonly fail within a few months resulting in system down time. The TES-2 is provided as new equipment, with a warranty, and MTBF of 100,000+ hours. The TES-2 can replace most existing Pertec Formatted interface tape drives or may be added to the existing tape drive chain. The TES-2 supports tape speeds ranging from 12.5ips to 75ips Start/Stop, to 125ips Streaming and recording densities from 800bpi NRZ mode to 6400fpi PE. Additional TES-2 options include Ethernet based tape data access, and replacement of tape reels with magneto optical or PCMCIA flash card media. No refurbished Pertec interface tape drive can match the reliability, features and customer support provided by choosing the TES-2 to replace your aging Pertec interface reel to reel tape drive. Contact Arraid today to learn more about new tape drive replacements for aging computer systems.

Features and Benefits

• Replaces aging and refurbished 9 track Pertec formatted interface tape drives with a new SCSI drive
• Easy to install. No hardware or software changes required, other than the drive itself.
  • Can replace or be added to existing drives.
• Operating system, application and diagnostic software are supported as is.
• An LCD Operator Panel provides full control over tape drive online/offline functions.
• High reliability with near zero maintenance required.
  • Greater computer system availability with lower cost of ownership.
• Greatly reduced power requirements compared to the original 9 track tape drive.
• Tape data can be stored on magneto optical or PCMCIA flash media.
  • With tape head alignment no longer an issue, media may be moved from drive to drive without concern for readability.
  • MO media is archive quality, impervious to EMI, yielding both reliable media distribution and a 25+ year shelf life.
• Increases storage - stores the content of multiple 1/2-inch tape reels on a single piece of media.
  • This allows for unattended operation (no tape reel changes) in many applications.
  • The space required for media storage is greatly reduced.

For More Information

Get the TES Data Sheet - This Data Sheet applies to all current versions of TES.
Learn how the TES-2 replaces Pertec interface reel to reel tape drives using Tape Drive Emulation.
Use the highlighted menu selection, Products, to see Models, Enclosures and Popular Options.
Unable to determine if the Arraid TES-2 system is right for your application? Contact Arraid or return to the Arraid data storage homepage to learn more.

A Brief List of Some of the Pertec 9 track Formatted Interface Drives the TES-2 Can Replace (Manufacturer and Drive Models)
Cipher F880
Cipher F880 ITT Tandem
Cipher F890
Cipher F891
Cipher M891
Cipher 910
Cipher F910
Cipher 920
Cipher F920
Cipher M990
Cipher M995
DEC TS05
HP 88780A
HP 88780B
Kennedy 9610
Kennedy 9662
M4 Data 9903, 9905, 9914
MP Systems 7000
QualStar 3400
Tandem 5160
Tandem 5161
Tandem 5171
Tandem 5172
Tandem 5175
Xcerta Quad 9 Track