Japan’s Unitex Claims First USB 3.0 LTO-5 Drive

UNITEX Corporation introduced world’s first USB 3.0 Interface LTO-5 tape drive LT50 USB and LTO-4 tape drive LT40 USB.

It’s a device that can connect LTO-5 tape in USB3.0 interface.

The LTO-5 drive has been supplied from IBM U.S. as an OEM partner.

LTO-5 cartridge can record 1.5TB (3.0TB at 2:1 data compression).

Advantages:

• No need to have any special knowledge and technologies in the USB connection.
• Not necessary to have host adapters required to traditional SAS in USB connection.
• Plug and play feature of USB makes possible to share the device between multiple systems such as notebook PCs and servers.

Customers stored data in HDD to various media such as DDS, DAT, DLT, AIT or CMT and managed the past data. Due to the discontinuation of these tape drives, it is required to transfer the data in the legacy tapes to LTO-5 or LTO-4 which are open and have future roadmap. For production of video data, storage of the medical files, long-term storage of the surveillance camera data or back up purpose, the drive are expected to be used with many applications.

Applications

• Archiving existing movies/videos
• Distribution of movies for post production purpose
• Archiving TV programs at TV network
• Archive/Distribution of CAD/CAM data
• Archiving high resolution medical files or patient files
• Long-term IP tape storage for surveillance cameras
• Transfer the data from HDD to tape for long-term storage and saving energy
• Data migration from legacy tapes to LTO-5 or LTO-4

Advantages

• Enables to use capacity tape drive with USB 3.0 interface
• User can use the device in any place with any PCs or servers
• Enables to copy the high capacity data with high transfer speed
• LT50 USB can read/write with maximum 140MB/sec transfer rate.

Features

• High transfer speed by USB 3.0 interface
• Correspond to the major backup software (CA ARCserve/ Symantec BackupExec/ QUEST NetVault 1.5TB (3TB 2:1 compression) data capacity with a Ultrium 5 cartridge
• Can be connected to various different computers by plug-and-play function
• Support Windows, Mac OS X & Linux / Data interchangeability at multi platform environment
• Enables to store and manage other tape media such as DDS, DAT, DLT, AIT or CMT to LT50/40 USB
• OS standard driver can be used by USB

Specs

• Mode: LT50 USB; LT40 USB
• Type of Drive; LTO Ultrium 5; Ultrium 4
• Interface: USB 3.0 /USB 2.0
• Capacity: 3TB (2:1 compression）/1.5TB (native); 1.6TB (2:1 compression）/ 800GB (native)
• Max. Data Transfer Rate: 140MB/sec; 120MB/sec
• OS: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X
• Dimensions: 213(W) × 370(D) × 58(H)
• Weight: 4.5Kg
• Planned availability date: November 2012