sco unix 3.2.2 tape drive problem (real sudden like)

[John Beaudin]

Recently, I upgraded my os from 3.2.
Before then, the tape drive worked flawlessly. Now however, after
the system has been is use all day, during tar, I get the msg:
---------------------------------------------------
"WARNING: ct: RDY or EXC failed to go active"
---------------------------------------------------

This is what my messages file looks like re hardware:

		SCO System V/386 Release 3.2v2.0 Operating System
	     kernel id 90/06/10 for i80386 Serial Number: cdi000039

D10 bits of I/O address decoding
Edevice   address	vector	dma	comment
-----------------------------------------------
Thu Sep 13 0:49:29
-----------------------------
%fpu      -		15	-	type=80387
F0F1F2%serial	0x03F8-0x03FF	04	-	unit=0 type=Standard nports=1
%serial   0x02F8-0x02FF	03	-	unit=1 type=Standard nports=1
F3%floppy	0x03F2-0x03F7	06	2	unit=0 type=135ds18
F4F5%console  -		-	-	unit=vga type=0 12 screens=68k
F6%parallel 0x0378-0x037A	07	-	unit=0
F7F8F9%tape     0x0220-0x0224	05	3	type=archive
F10F11F12GH0H1H2H3H4H5H6%disk     0x01F0-0x01F7	16	-	type=W0 unit=0 cyls=618 hds=16 secs=63
H7H8H9H10H11H12I0mem: total = 7168k, kernel = 17
---------------------------------------------------

The problem disappears if I power down and immediately use tar.
Any suggestions as to the cause of this behaviour? The tape controller is
an SC499r (archive scorpion).
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