Advanced Intelligent Tape

Advanced Intelligent Tape (AIT) is a high-speed, high-capacity magnetic tape data storage format developed and controlled by Sony. It competes mainly against the DLT, LTO, DAT/DDS, and VXA formats. AIT uses a cassette similar to Video8. Super AIT (SAIT) is a higher capacity variant using wider tape in a larger, single-spool cartridge. Both AIT and SAIT use the helical scan method of reading and writing the tape.

Form factors

AIT technology is now available in two form factors.

* AIT – 8 mm, dual reel cartridge, similar to Sony's 8 mm videotape products and Exabyte's 8 mm data tape products.
* SAIT – 1/2", single reel cartridge, similar to DLT and LTO.

As of 2006, AIT is widely used for computer backups, but its popularity is waning.

Compatibility

One of the most compelling features of the AIT format is that many generations are both backwards and forwards compatible. This allows multiple generations of tape drives to both read and write to multiple generations of tape media.

AIT generations

SAIT-1

* Highest capacity tape cartridge from 2003 to 2006. Displaced by DLT-S4 (800 GB).

SAIT-2

Released in 2006 by Sony, available only in libraries, 800 GB native and 45 MB/s sustained of transfer rate.cite web
title = SAIT2-800
publisher = Sony
url = http://www.sonybiz.net/biz/view/ShowProduct.action?product=SAIT2-800&site=biz_en_EU&pageType=OverviewFeatures&category=STO+S-AIT
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-01-30 ]

Notes

* Data Capacity and Speed figures above are for "uncompressed" data. Sony assumes a 2x or 2.6x compression factor in their marketing material.
* According to Sony, "All future products are based on technology projections."

Technical features

AME

Advance Metal Evaporated is a different formulation of tape media.

MIC

Memory in CassetteMemory chip in the cartridge that keeps relevant information about the tape.

R-MIC

Remote - Memory in CassetteLike MIC except it doesn't require physical contact.

WORM

Write Once Read Many functionality, useful for archive keeping.

References

External links

* [http://www.aittape.com/ AIT Technology Forum]
* [http://www.aittape.com/ait-tape-roadmap.html AIT Roadmap]
* [http://www.gstinc.com/resources/file/sait-1-comparison-2003.pdf SAIT-1 comparison]
* [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-246.htm ECMA 246] Specification of AIT-1. [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ecma-st/ECMA-246.pdf]
* [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-291.htm ECMA 291] Specification of AIT-1 w/ MIC. [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ecma-st/ECMA-291.pdf]
* [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-292.htm ECMA 292] Specification of AIT-2 w/ MIC. [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ecma-st/ECMA-292.pdf]
* [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-329.htm ECMA 329] Specification of AIT-3. [http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/files/ecma-st/ECMA-329.pdf]