This topic provides information specific to cleaning half-inch tape drives.
On the average, clean the tape path on each drive every seven days. If you use an unusually large amount of tape, clean the tape path more often. If the tape unit displays a *CLEAN message, clean the tape drive path as soon as possible. You should also clean the tape path after each initial program load (IPL), after a drive is reset, or whenever the power on the tape unit has been interrupted.
To clean the tape path, insert the special cleaning cartridge as you would a typical tape cartridge. Keep track of the number of uses on the label provided with each cleaning cartridge and then throw the cartridge away after 500 uses.
If your tape drive has the automatic cartridge loader feature, put the cartridge into the feed position and press the start button. The cleaning cartridge can also be put into the input stack, and the cleaning procedure takes place whenever the cleaning cartridge is loaded into the drive. If you start cleaning during a job, an inquiry message is displayed. After responding to the message, the drive threads the cleaning tape, cleans the read/write head, and then rewinds and unloads the cleaning cartridge. When the cartridge has been unloaded, remove it and mark the usage label.
These tape drives provide random access to the tape cartridges. When the device detects that cleaning is needed, the tape drive will perform the cleaning operation, if the cleaning cartridge is in the internal cell known only to the Random Access Cartridge Loader. The tape drive keeps track of the number of cleaning operations performed by the cleaning cartridge and ejects the cleaning cartridge through the priority cell when the cleaning cycles that are allowed for the cleaning cartridge have been used up.
The cleaning cartridges for half-inch tape drives are specified in the following table:
| Tape drive | Cleaning cartridge part number |
|---|---|
| 3490 | 4780527 |
| 3570 | 05H2463 |
| 3590 | 05H4435 |
| 3592 | 05H3929 |