tape streamers question

[Dominick Samperi]

In article <314 at belltec.UUCP> dar at belltec.UUCP (Dimitri Rotow) writes:
>One of the points Clarence makes needs clarification.  There are two tape
>interface standards commonly used between PC boards and tape mechanisms.  The
>QIC-36 interface is really a command interface whereas the QIC-02 interface
>is more of a bus adaptor spec.  That's why QIC-36 cards are typically "long"
>format cards, because they contain the formatter/command electronics, while
>QIC-02 cards (being mere bus adaptors) tend to be short cards.  

Hmmm, does this mean, for example, that an Everex EV-36 controller can be
used with an Archive FT60 tape drive, since Archive describes the interface
used for this drive as a QIC-36 interface? And is it also true that the
Everex EV-02 controller will work with any drive that uses the QIC-02
interface, like the Archive VP series, or a similar Bell Tech drive?
More generally, how interchangeable are various vendor's streamer controllers
and drives? Is it possible to write software that will work with many
different controllers/drives?
-- 
Dominick Samperi, NYC
    samperi at acf8.NYU.EDU	samperi at marob.MASA.COM
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