Sony SDX-800V/R User Manual

SONY AIT-3Ex drive SDX-800V series Ver.1.1 

6-105

Operation Code (0Ah) 

Obsolete Reserve 

Fixed 

(MSB)  

 

 Transfer 

Length  

  

(LSB) 

Control 

WRITE transfers one or more blocks from the Host to the tape beginning at the current logical position. 

Fixed: The Fixed Bit specifies both the meaning of the Transfer Length field and whether fixed-length or 

variable-length blocks are to be transferred. 

If the Fixed bit is set to ZERO, Variable Block mode is selected. The Transfer Length specifies the maximum number 

of bytes that the drive handshakes out from the initiator. A single block is transferred from the initiator and is written 

beginning at the current logical tape position. Upon successful termination, the tape is logically positioned after this 

block (EOM/P side). The Transfer Length specifies the maximum number of bytes that the drive handshakes out 
from the initiator. 

If the Fixed Bit is set to one, the Transfer Length field specifies the number of blocks to be transferred to the drive, 

beginning at the current logical position. This is valid only if the drive is currently operating in Fixed Block mode, in 

other words, when it has been instructed to use fixed-length blocks with MODE SELECT. The current block length is 

the block length defined in the MODE SELECT command. Upon termination, the tape is logically positioned after 

these blocks (EOM/P side). 

If EOT is detected while writing, the drive will finish writing any buffered data. The command will terminate with 

CHECK CONDITION status. Within the Sense data, the EOM bit is set, the Sense Key field is set to NO SENSE and 

the Additional Sense Code and Additional Sense Code Qualifier fields are set to EOM/P detected. The drive will 

attempt to complete any subsequent writes, returning a CHECK CONDITION status in each case. 

Note: If the host issue a write command with the odd block size and Wide SCSI, the CHECK CONDITION STATUS 

will be reached and the sense key will be set to ILLEGAL REQUEST. 

If the drive encounters the physical EOM when attempting a WRITE, a CHECK CONDITION status is returned. 

Within the Sense data, the EOM and Valid bits are set and the Sense Key field is set to VOLUME OVERFLOW. The 

Information fields contain the residue count and the Additional Sense Code and Additional Sense Code Qualifier 

fields are set to EOM/P Detected. The tape is physically positioned at EOM/P. 

If the Transfer Length is ZERO, no data will be transferred and the current position on the logical unit will not be 

changed. 

The drive flushes its write buffer to tape and appends an EOD marker under the following conditions: 

1.   Receipt of the following non-write commands: 

READ 
SPACE 
ERASE 
READ BUFFER 
WRITE BUFFER 
REWIND 
LOAD/UNLOAD 
MODE SELECT 
LOCATE 

The buffer can be maintained through the following media commands, assuming that no other flush condition has 

been met, for example, write hold-off time-out. 

WRITE 

WRITE FILE MARKS with Immediate bit set 

2.   The write hold-off time limit is exceeded.