TDK Starts to Produce LTO-5 Media

TDK Corporation completed development of the LTO Ultrium 5, the fifth-generation LTO (Linear Tape-Open) Ultrium format data cartridges and the cartridges recently passed certification testing by the LTO compliance verification entity (CVE). TDK has now started mass production of the LTO Ultrium 5 data cartridges.

TDK has long been an expert in the development of recording media and frequently works in close collaboration with various drive manufacturers during the initial tape and cartridge design stages to develop optimal products for each recording format. It was thanks to this extensive track record that the LTO Ultrium 5 passed the strict certification testing by the CVE.

The rapid development and expansion of digital networks resulting from the spread of cloud computing has caused the volume of data handled by data storage systems in large-scale data centers and other facilities to expand enormously, and even higher-capacity, faster data systems are needed. The LTO Ultrium 5 data cartridge, the fifth-generation LTO product, has a capacity of 1.5 TB (3.0 TB with 2:1 compression) and a high-speed data transfer rate of 140 MB/s (280 MB/s with 2:1 compression) maximum. LTO Ultrium 5 is an optimal data storage system for high-speed, high-capacity servers in today’s era of large data volumes.

To achieve this data storage capacity, the LTO Ultrium 5 data cartridge, the recording media for LTO Ultrium 5 data storage systems, uses tape that is 12.65 mm wide and has 1,280 recording tracks (compared to 896 tracks for LTO Ultrium 4). In addition, the tape thickness has been reduced to make it possible for a single cartridge to hold more tape. As a result, the tape must meet even stricter precision, performance, and durability standards.

The LTO Ultrium 5 data cartridge, which TDK recently began mass-producing, incorporates cutting-edge magnetic material and tape technologies that TDK, a recording media manufacturer, has accumulated through the development of numerous magnetic recording media including LTO Ultrium products. The LTO Ultrium 5 format achieves stable read and write signals by using high-output, ultrafine metal particles designed specifically for LTO Ultrium, ultra-thin, dual-layer tape coating technology that controls the thickness of the magnetic layer on the nanometer order, and a special servo writer used to record high-precision servo signals.

In addition, a high-precision cartridge mechanism that seeks high-performance and high precision in every component including a high-precision leader pin and a reel hub that enhances the straightness of the drum is used to ensure precise drive access.

Thanks to these features and technologies, the LTO Ultrium 5 data cartridge is a highly durable, high-reliability data storage medium that meets today’s most demanding needs for high capacity and high-speed storage solutions.