【NEC】 N7641 and N7642 Cartridge Magnetic Tape Unit

In January 1987, NEC announced the N7641-21 cartridge magnetic tape unit which used 1/2-inch wide cartridge magnetic tapes, and the N7642-21 cartridge magnetic tape unit with auto changer which added a magnetic tape cartridge automatic changer and storage rack to the magnetic tape drive of the N7641-21.

The 1/2-inch cartridge magnetic tape (540 feet long) had a capacity of 200MB, even though it was 1/4 the size of conventional 1/2-inch open reel magnetic tape. These units used a thin film head for writing and an MR (magnetoresistance element) for reading, and data transfer was done at a high speed of 3MB/s.

Specifications of N7641-21 and N7642-21 Cartridge Magnetic Tape Units
Model name N7641-21 N7642-21
Media specifications Width 1/2inch,Length 540feet,18tracks,Capacity approx. 200MB
Cartridge dimensions(mm) 109(W)×125(D)×25.4(H)
Recording density(byte/inch) 38000
Tape speed(m/s) 2
Data transfer speed(MB/s) 3
Max. memory capacity(GB) - 3.2(with 16 tapes)
External dimensions(mm) 520(W)×720(D)×1000(H) -

 
N7641 Cartridge Magnetic Tape UnitN7642 Cartridge Magnetic Tape UnitWith door open