Abstract: A magnetic tape drive and an assembly for a tape drive are disclosed herein. The disclosed magnetic tape drive comprises a SAS-compliant tape drive module; and a USB-C to SAS assembly having one or more controllers operatively coupled to a USB-C connector and a SAS connector. The SAS connector of the USB-C to SAS assembly is operatively coupled to the SAS-compliant tape drive module. The USB-C to SAS assembly is configured to enable the magnetic tape drive to interface a USB-C-compliant computing device with the SAS-compliant tape drive module, and the USB-C to SAS assembly is configured to transmit tape commands received at the USB-C connector to the SAS-compliant tape drive module via the one or more controllers and the SAS connector. The assembly includes a SAS connector, a USB-C connector, and one or more controllers operatively coupled to the SAS connector and the USB-C connector.

Abstract: A tape drive includes a tape transport assembly, the tape transport assembly including a drive member, the drive member of the tape transport assembly configured to displace tape media in the tape drive; and a tape roller assembly, the tape roller assembly including a roller member, the roller member having one or more slanted grooves or protrusions formed in an outer surface of the roller member, the roller member configured to support and/or guide the tape media as the tape media is displaced by the tape transport assembly, the one or more slanted grooves or protrusions of the roller member configured to burnish and/or clean the tape media so as to prevent damage to a tape head, and the one or more slanted grooves or protrusions of the roller member being angled so as to prevent the tape media from sliding in an axial direction of the roller member.

Abstract: Peripheral magnetic tape drives are disclosed herein. The disclosed peripheral magnetic tape drive comprises: a housing; a SAS compliant tape drive module; a power supply and a USB-C to SAS assembly. The SAS compliant tape drive module, the power supply and the USB-C to SAS assembly are disposed within the housing. The power supply module is operatively coupled to the tape drive module to supply +12V and +5V power thereto. The USB-C to SAS assembly is operatively connected to the tape drive module using a SAS data channel. The USB-C to SAS assembly is configured to enable the peripheral magnetic tape drive to interface a USB-C compliant device with the SAS compliant tape drive module. The USB-C to SAS assembly is further operatively coupled to the power supply to receive +12V power. The USB-C to SAS assembly may send and receive data using a Thunderbolt® 3 protocol.