 

M2 Monitor Software for Windows 
User's Guide
for Version 1.0




















1003966-000
Copyright
Copyright 2000 by Exabyte Corporation. All rights reserved. This item and the information contained herein are 
the property of Exabyte Corporation. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, 
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language in any form or by any means, 
electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without the express written 
permission of Exabyte Corporation, 1685 38th Street, Boulder, Colorado 80301.
Disclaimer
Exabyte Corporation makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this document and 
specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Further, 
Exabyte Corporation reserves the right to revise this publication without obligation to notify any person or 
organization of such revision or changes.
Trademark Notices
Exabyte, Exabyte Recognition System, Exapak, Exasoft, Exatape, and Strategex are U.S. registered trademarks 
of Exabyte Corporation. Eliant, M2, MammothTape, NetStorM, SmartClean, and SupportSuite are U.S. 
trademarks of Exabyte Corporation. All other product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their 
respective owners
Revision History
Revisions of this manual include the following:
Revision
Date
Description
000
February 2000
Initial release for software version 1.0




Exabyte Corporation
1685 38th Street
Boulder, Colorado 80301
(303) 417-4333

1003966-00

Contents	
Introduction	v
About this manual	v
Conventions used in this book	v
Keys and selections	vi
Getting Started	7
Required equipment and software	7
Contacting Exabyte Technical Support	8
Connecting the serial cable	9
Installing the software	9
Installing from diskette	9
Installing a downloaded file	11
Uninstalling the software	11
Starting and using M2 Monitor	12
Starting M2 Monitor	12
Using the mouse	12
Quitting M2 Monitor	13
Accessing online help	13
Using M2 Monitor menus	13
Using option buttons and list boxes	14
Locating files	15
Using M2 Monitor	16
The main M2 Monitor window	16
Load Code	17
Load Code - Serial Port	17
Load Code - SCSI Bus	19
Write Dump	21
Write Dump - Serial Port	21
Write Dump - SCSI Bus	22
Analyze Dump	24
SCSI Trace	25
M2 Monitor menu operations	26
File menu	26
Configuration Options	29
Configuration Option descriptions	32
Control menu	47
Setup menu	49
Troubleshooting - Serial Port Connection	51
Index	52
Introduction
The Exabyter M2T Monitor program is a Microsoft? Windows? software application used 
for configuring, testing, and upgrading Exabyte Mammoth-2 (M2) tape drives. M2 Monitor 
runs under Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT version 4.0. The program uses RS-
232 communications to link a serial port on a personal computer to the tape drive or to an 
Exabyte library where the tape drive is running. Some functions are also available via a SCSI 
bus connection.
The M2 Monitor program is designed to operate only with M2 tape drives. Using this version 
of the program with any other Exabyte tape drive, including Mammoth and Mammoth-LT, 
may cause the program or drive to fail or behave unpredictably.
About this manual
This manual provides instructions for installing and operating the M2 Monitor software. It is 
intended for anyone who wants to test or upgrade an Exabyte M2 tape drive using M2 
Monitor. This manual assumes that you are familiar with tape drive operation.
Note: This User's Guide is also available as M2 Monitor's online help .
Conventions used in this book
This book uses the following conventions to highlight special information:
Note: Notes provide hints or suggestions about the topic or procedure being discussed.
Important Read the information in Important notices to help you 
successfully complete a procedure or avoid additional steps.

	CAUTION
Boxed text under to the heading "CAUTION" provides information you must 
know to avoid losing your data or damaging your tape drive.
Keys and selections
When you need to press a key, click a button, or make a selection to perform a step, the key or 
selection is highlighted in bold type. For example:
	"Select Reset from the File menu."
	"Click Browse to open a File Selection window."
	"Press F1 for help."
If you need to press and hold a key while pressing another key, the keys are shown with a 
hyphen. For example:
	"Press Alt-F to display the items under the File menu."

Getting Started
This chapter provides the following information:
? A list of the equipment and software required for installing and using M2 Monitor under 
Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0
? Instructions for connecting the tape drive to the computer running M2 Monitor
? Instructions for installing M2 Monitor
? Instructions for starting and exiting M2 Monitor
? Instructions for using the M2 Monitor Windows interface
Required equipment and software 
Before you start, make sure that you have the following equipment and software:
? An IBM or compatible computer capable of running Windows 95, Windows 98, or 
Windows NT 4.0, with a 3.5-inch floppy drive, a hard drive with at least 5 MB of free 
space available, and either an RS-232 serial port or SCSI adapter (or both) that is 
supported by Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0.
 Notes:
? Disable all screen savers.
? When using a laptop computer, disable "power-saver" and "battery monitor" options, 
if possible, to avoid conflicts with serial port communications.
? When using a laptop computer, do not slow down the CPU when operating on battery 
power.
? Dump files are from 1 MB to 32 MB in size. If you plan to store dump files on your 
hard disk, you will need more than the minimum 5 MB of space available.
? A color VGA monitor (800 x 600 dpi or better).
? A mouse (recommended). A serial mouse must be on a different serial port than the tape 
drive.

? A serial cable to attach the tape drive to the computer serial port:
Important Pins 2 and 3 on the serial cable must be straight through, not 
"nulled."
? If the tape drive is in an Exabyte library: use a 9-pin to 9-pin serial cable (available 
from Exabyte). If your serial port has a 25-pin connector, you will need a 9-pin to 25-
pin adapter (available from most computer stores). 
? If the tape drive is not in an Exabyte library: use a 9-pin to RJ-11 voltage level 
shifter (Exabyte part number 301001) and a RJ-11 to 3-pin cable (Exabyte part 
number 303722).
? Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0. 
? If you do not already have it, obtain the most current version of the Exabyte M2 Monitor 
program. You can download the new version from Exabyte's web site at www. 
exabyte.com. You can also obtain the M2 Monitor software on a floppy disk from 
Exabyte.
Contacting Exabyte Technical Support 
Exabyte Technical Support is available in the United States from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 
Mountain Standard Time.
Phone:	United States and Canada: 1-800-445-7736 or (303) 417-7792
	Europe:	+31-30-254-8890 
Fax: 	(303) 417-7160 or +31-30-258-1582 (Europe)
WWW: 	http://www.exabyte.com
E-mail: 	support@exabyte.com
Connecting the serial cable
To take advantage of M2 Monitor's full functionality, you must use a serial connection 
between the computer and the tape drive. The only functions that can be used with either the 
serial interface or the SCSI interface are loading new code and creating a dump file. If you 
need to use the M2 Monitor to perform other operations (for example, analysis operations), 
connect a serial cable between the computer and the tape drive as follows:
1. Attach one end of the serial cable to the serial port on your computer. (If the computer 
serial port has a 25-pin connector, attach a 9-pin to 25-pin adapter.)
2. Attach the 9-pin connector on the other end of the serial cable to the Monitor port on the 
back of the tape drive.
Important  If the tape drive is not installed in an Exabyte library, use a 9-pin 
to RJ-11 connector voltage level shifter and an RJ-11 to 3-pin cable to 
connect the 9-pin serial cable to the 3-pin Monitor port.
Installing the software
Note: You may want to make a copy of your M2 Monitor installation diskette and store the 
copy in a safe place.
Software installation is the same for Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT.
Installing from diskette
1. Start Windows.
2. Insert the M2 Monitor Disk 1 into the appropriate floppy drive.
3. From the Start menu, select Settings, then open the Control Panel folder.

4. From the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs.
 
5. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click the Install button.
6. Follow the instructions as they appear on the screen. The setup program locates the file 
[drive]:\SETUP.EXE, where [drive] is the letter of your floppy disk drive, and installs the 
M2 Monitor software in the directory c:\m2monitor.

If you need help, click on the Help button for information about installation selections. 
The setup program copies the necessary files to your computer hard drive and places the 
M2 Monitor icon in the program folder of your choice (for example, a folder named 
Exabyte).
7. When the setup is complete, remove the M2 Monitor floppy disk from the floppy drive and 
store it in a safe location in case you need to install the program again later. 
8. If you have microcode (*.i) files for your tape drive, copy them to a directory on your hard 
drive. For example, place them in a subdirectory of the installation directory 
c:\M2Monitor\code.
Installing a downloaded file
1. If you are installing the downloaded version of the software, double-click on the file 
[drive]:[path]\SETUPEX.EXE, where [drive] is the letter of the drive you are using and 
[path]  is the path to the downloaded file. The file self-extracts and then installs the M2 
Monitor software in the directory c:\m2monitor.

If you need help, click on the Help button for information about installation selections. 
The setup program copies the necessary files to your computer hard drive and places the 
M2 Monitor icon in the program folder of your choice (for example, a folder named 
Exabyte).
2. If you have microcode (*.i) files for your tape drive, copy them to a directory on your hard 
drive. For example, place them in a subdirectory of the installation directory 
c:\M2Monitor\code. 
Uninstalling the software
To uninstall the M2 Monitor software, select the Add/Remove Programs from the Control 
Panel. Select the M2 Monitor file name in the list of installed software and click on Remove.

Starting and using M2 Monitor
Starting M2 Monitor
To start M2 Monitor, first start Windows, then navigate to the Exabyte folder from the Start 
menu and click on the M2 Monitor icon. The main M2 Monitor window appears:
 
Note: By default, M2 Monitor always starts in SCSI Bus communication mode. In this mode, 
only the Load Code and Write Dump commands are active. All other commands and tape 
drive information is only available in the Serial Port communication mode.
M2 Monitor uses the standard Windows user interface for text entry, option buttons, list 
boxes, file selection, and help. If you are familiar with these user interface elements, skip the 
remainder of this section and go directly to "Using M2 Monitor."
Using the mouse
You can use your mouse to make selections in M2 Monitor. Whenever you are instructed to 
make a selection, you can "click" on that selection by moving the mouse cursor to the selection 
and pressing the left mouse button. The instructions will indicate whether you need to click 
once ("click") or click twice ("double-click") to make the selection.

Quitting M2 Monitor 
To quit M2 Monitor, use any of the following methods:
? Click on the Close button.
? Select Exit from the File menu.
? Double-click on the system menu box. (This is the mini-icon in the upper left corner of the 
window.)
? Click once on the system menu box and select Close.
? Click once on the X in the upper right corner of the screen.
? Press Alt-F4 or Alt-F x.
Accessing online help
You can access M2 Monitor online help as follows:
? Help button. The main M2 Monitor window includes a Help button. Select the Help 
button to display the M2 Monitor online help.
? Help menu. The Help menu is available at the top of the main M2 Monitor window. From 
the Help menu, select Contents to display the contents of the online help (similar to the 
table of contents in this manual). From there, you can access information about all aspects 
of the M2 Monitor program.
	Note: The Help menu is only available from the main M2 Monitor window.
? Press F1. Pressing F1 from anywhere within the program displays the contents of the 
online help.
Using M2 Monitor menus
A menu is a list of options from which you can choose an action or perform a task. The menus 
for M2 Monitor are presented at the top of the screen. To see the choices in a menu, use any of 
the following methods:
? Click on the menu name.
? Press the Alt key and the letter that is underlined in the menu you want to select. For 
example, press Alt-C to select the Control menu.
? Press and release Alt, then press the ? or ? keys to move to the menu you want to select. 
Press Enter, ?, or ? to display the menu choices.

You can select choices from menus using any of the following methods:
? Click on your choice.
? Highlight the option and press Enter. Highlighting involves using the ? or ? keys to move 
the colored bar from choice to choice. When you reach the choice you want, press Enter to 
select it.
? Press a shortcut key. One letter is underlined in each menu choice. Press this letter to select 
your choice.
Using option buttons and list boxes
When you need to make choices on screens or in dialog boxes, the choices are typically 
presented with option buttons or list boxes. 
The following example shows option buttons for specifying to which COM port you attached 
the tape drive and list boxes for specifying the baud rate for serial communication:
 
Option buttons represent mutually exclusive choices. You can select only one option at a time. 
To select or deselect an option button, use any of the following methods:
? Click on the button to place a black dot inside it.
? Press the Tab key until one of the options is selected. Then press the ? or ? keys to 
select the option button you want.
A list box provides several choices for an option. To view the choices in a list box, click on the 
arrow next to the list box, or click on the choice shown in the list box. The list box turns into a 
menu:
 
Select your choice from the menu as you would from any other Windows menu. Alternatively, 
if you do not have a mouse, you can move to a list box by pressing Tab. Then, press the ? or 
? keys to change the selection.
Locating files
When you need to enter a file name in a window, you can type the path and name directly into 
the text field. If you do not know the name of the file, you can use the Browse button to open a 
File Selection window from which you can select the file. The default extension for the file 
name depends on what type of file you requested. For example, if you want to write a dump 
file, a screen similar to the following is displayed.
 
Using M2 Monitor
The main M2 Monitor window 
M2 Monitor allows you to load new microcode into the tape drive memory, view and record 
tape drive operations, control the operation of the tape drive, and configure M2 Monitor 
operation. The most frequently used operations are available as buttons on the main M2 
Monitor window. These options can also be accessed from the menus. 
When you start M2 Monitor, the SCSI Bus communication option is selected by default. When 
in SCSI Bus mode, the only functions you can perform are Load Code and Write Dump. All 
other functions are disabled. In order to use the other functions, you must connect your PC to 
the tape drive using a serial cable, and then select the Serial Port communication option. After 
serial port communication has been established from your PC to the tape drive, all the other 
functions are enabled and available for you to use.
Important If the tape drive is not connected to the host computer via a serial 
cable, Status indicates "Disconnected" and all of the remaining fields are 
blank.
 

The main M2 Monitor window shows information about the tape drive. This information 
includes:
? Target: Indicates that M2 Monitor has recognized an M2 tape drive connected to the 
serial port.
? Status: Indicates whether M2 Monitor established a connection to the tape drive. If M2 
Monitor cannot establish a connection to the tape drive, the Status line indicates 
"Disconnected" and the remaining fields are blank.
? Code Version: Indicates the version of firmware currently stored in the tape drive control 
memory, as well as the time and date on which the firmware was compiled.
? Configuration Version: Indicates the version of firmware currently stored in the tape 
drive EEPROM.
? Serial Number: Indicates the tape drive serial number.
? Boot Version: Indicates the current boot code stored in the boot PROM.
? Temperature: Indicates the current temperature of the tape path in ?C. This temperature 
reading is continuously updated.
? The animated Exabyte icon indicates whether the connection between the tape drive and 
M2 Monitor is active.
? A panel showing the information currently displayed on the tape drive LCD. The 
information in this panel is updated every two seconds and may not exactly match the tape 
drive LCD.
Load Code
Exabyte may periodically release new levels of microcode for the Exabyte M2 tape drive. 
When new releases are available, you can download the updated microcode files from the 
Exabyte Web site (www.exabyte.com). 
	CAUTION
If a reset, hardware failure, or power failure occurs during the execution of the 
Load Code command, the tape drive may not be able to operate. If this 
occurs, use M2 Monitor to reload the microcode over the serial port.
Load Code - Serial Port
The following instructions describe how to use M2 Monitor to load the code using the tape 
drive's diagnostic port (Serial Port connection).
1. Make sure that the SCSI bus is idle. If possible, disconnect the tape drive from the SCSI 
bus before starting the code load process.
2. Using a serial cable, connect the tape drive to the computer running M2 Monitor and make 
sure that M2 Monitor has established connection with the tape drive.
3. Select Serial Port as the communication mode, if it is not already selected. The Status line 
in the main M2 Monitor window should indicate "Connected to Drive."
4. Make sure there is no data cartridge in the tape drive.
	CAUTION
Remove any data cartridge from the tape drive before loading code. If a load 
fails for any reason (for example, a power failure), the servo mechanism may 
damage any tape left in the tape drive. The tape drive attempts to rewind and 
unload the tape before a code load, but may not have enough time to perform 
a long rewind.
5. Click the Load Code button or select Load Code from the File menu. The Serial Port 
Load Code window is displayed.
 
6. Type the path and file name of the microcode image file you want to use. The default file 
type for microcode files is *.i. If you do not know the name of the file, click Browse to 
display a list of available files.

7. Click Start to begin transferring the code to the tape drive's control memory or click Close 
to close the Load Code window.

When you click Start, a confirmation box appears. Click Yes to continue.

M2 Monitor begins transferring the microcode image into the tape drive's control memory. 
A bar above the buttons indicates the progress of the transfer. If you click Abort, the code 
load operation terminates and the tape drive's firmware is left unchanged. 
8. When the code transfer is complete, the drive automatically reboots. When the reboot is 
complete, the Load Code window will close automatically. M2 Monitor will disconnect 
from the tape drive, then reconnect using the newly loaded microcode.
9. Verify that new code version is displayed on the Code Version line of the M2 Monitor 
window.
Load Code - SCSI Bus
The following instructions describe how to use M2 Monitor to load the code using the SCSI 
bus.
Important  M2 Monitor supports only LUN 0 for SCSI Load Code operations.
1. Make sure that no other application is communicating with the tape drive on the SCSI bus 
and that the SCSI bus is idle before starting the code load process.
2. From the Windows Control Panel, click on the Tape Devices icon and verify that the tape 
drive you want to load code into is listed.
3. Make sure there is no data cartridge in the tape drive.
	CAUTION
Remove any data cartridge from the tape drive before loading code. If a load 
fails for any reason (for example, a power failure), the servo mechanism may 
damage any tape left in the tape drive. The tape drive attempts to rewind and 
unload the tape before a code load, but may not have enough time to perform 
a long rewind.
4. Select SCSI Bus as the communication mode.

5. Click the Load Code button or select Load Code from the File menu. The SCSI Load 
Code window is displayed.
 
6. Type the path and file name of the microcode image file you want to use. The default file 
type for microcode files is *.i. If you do not know the name of the file, click Browse to 
display a dialog box in which you can navigate to a directory where code files are stored 
and select one from the list of available files.
7. Select the M2 tape drive to receive the code file from the list of tape drives connected to 
your system. The two numbers in square brackets to the left of the device identification 
string represent the host adapter and target SCSI ID, respectively. 

If you do not see your tape drive listed, click Rescan Bus to update the list of devices 
attached to the SCSI bus. If the drive still is not listed, reboot your PC (with the drive 
powered on) and verify that the drive is identified during adapter initialization.
8. Click Start to transfer the code to the tape drive's control memory or click Close to close 
the Load Code window.

When you click Start, a confirmation box appears. Click Yes to continue.
9. When the code transfer is complete, the drive automatically reboots. When the reboot is 
complete, the Load Code window will close automatically. M2 Monitor will disconnect 
from the tape drive, then reconnect using the newly loaded microcode.
Important The code transfer over the SCSI bus is nearly instantaneous. 
However, an additional 30 to 45 seconds must elapse before the drive 
reboots. If the drive is reset during this delay period, the new code will not be 
loaded. If this occurs, you must repeat the code load operation using the serial 
port. 
Write Dump
The Write Dump command saves a dump of the tape drive's microprocessor as a binary file on 
disk. This dump file includes information about tape drive operations that can be used for 
future diagnostic analysis.
Write Dump - Serial Port
The following instructions describe how to use M2 Monitor to save a dump file on the 
computer disk drive using the tape drive's diagnostic port (Serial Port Connection).
1. Make sure that M2 Monitor has established connection with the tape drive. 
2. Select Serial Port as the communication mode, if it is not already selected. The Status line 
in the main M2 Monitor window should indicate "Connected to Drive."
3. Click the Write Dump button or select Write Dump File from the File menu. The serial 
port Write Dump window is displayed. 
 
4. Type the path and a file name indicating the reason for creating the dump file. The default 
file type for a dump file is *.dmp. Click Browse to display a dialog box in which you can 
navigate to a suitable directory and then specify the file name.

5. If you plan to store the dump file on your hard drive, make sure you have sufficient space 
available. By default, M2 Monitor saves a Full dump. Select the type of information you 
want to save:

Buffer - Saves the entire contents of the tape drive's data buffer; requires 16 or 32 MB of 
disk space.
Note: If you are using the NBD version of M2 Monitor, the Buffer option is not 
available.
Full - Saves the contents of the tape drive's processor memory, not including the data 
buffer; requires about 2 MB of disk space.

EEPROM - Save the contents of the tape drive's EEPROM only; requires 8 KB of disk 
space.
6. Click Start to begin writing the dump file to disk. A bar above the buttons indicates the 
progress of the transfer. 

If you click Abort, the dump operation terminates and any data saved to disk is deleted.
7. After the Write Dump operation is complete, click the Close button.
Write Dump - SCSI Bus
The following instructions describe how to use M2 Monitor to save a dump file on the 
computer disk drive using the SCSI bus.
Important  M2 Monitor supports only LUN 0 for SCSI Write Dump operations.
1. Make sure that no other application is communicating with the tape drive on the SCSI bus 
before starting the write dump process.
2. Select SCSI Bus as the communication mode.

3. Click the Write Dump button or select Write Dump File from the File menu. The SCSI 
bus Write Dump window is displayed.
 
4. Type the path and a file name indicating the reason for creating the dump file. The default 
file type for a dump file is *.dmp. Click Browse to display a dialog box in which you can 
navigate to a suitable directory and then specify the file name.
5. Select the M2 tape drive from which the diagnostic dump will be read from the list of tape 
drives connected to your system. The two numbers in square brackets to the left of the 
device identification string represent the host adapter and target SCSI ID, respectively. 
If you do not your tape drive in the list, click Rescan Bus to update the list of devices 
attached to the SCSI bus. If the drive still is not listed, reboot your PC (with the drive 
powered on) and verify that the drive is identified during adapter initialization.
6. If you plan to store the dump file on your hard drive, make sure you have sufficient space 
available (about 2 MB). 
Important  Only a Full dump can be saved using the SCSI Bus 
communication option. If you need to save an EEPROM or Buffer dump, you 
must connect to the tape drive via the Serial Port communication option and 
use the Write Dump - Serial Port function.
7. Click Start to begin writing the dump file to disk.
8. After the Write Dump operation is complete, click the Close button.
Analyze Dump
The Analyze Dump command loads a previously stored dump file into the computer memory 
for examination. 
Important  Only a Full dump file can be analyzed using the Analyze Dump 
option. Buffer and EEPROM dump files cannot be examined using this 
command. 
The following instructions describe how to use M2 Monitor to load the dump file into the 
computer memory for analysis.
1. Select Serial Port as the communication mode, if it is not already selected.
Note: You must select Serial Port communication even of you do not have a drive 
connected to the serial port. This is because the mechanism used to process a dump file 
uses the serial port communication functions just as if a drive was connected (you 
"connect" to a dump file instead of a drive). 
2. Click the Analyze Dump button or select Analyze Dump File from the File menu. The 
Analyze Dump window appears. 
 
3. Type the path and file name of the dump file you want to analyze. The default file type for 
a dump file is *.dmp. If you do not know the name of the file, click Browse to display a 
list of available files.
4. After you specify the name of the dump file, M2 Monitor disconnects from the tape drive 
(if it was previously connected) and loads the file into PC memory. You can then view the 
tape drive Configuration Option settings and use the options under the Examine menu to 
review the SCSI trace information and the Error Log to locate SCSI commands that failed 
and any associated Fault Symptom Code (FSC) information.

SCSI Trace
The SCSI Trace command opens a window showing the contents of the tape drive's command 
buffer. Use the SCSI Trace command to examine the SCSI commands issued to the tape drive, 
the SCSI ID of the host computer issuing the command, and the Fault Symptom Code (if any) 
for each command.
To open the SCSI Trace window, click the SCSI Trace button or select SCSI Trace from the 
Examine menu. The SCSI Trace window is displayed. When you first open the window, it is 
empty.
 
? To display the information stored in the command buffer, click the Read button. The Read 
button loads the contents of the tape drive's command buffer into the SCSI Trace window. 
The most recent command appears at the bottom of the list. The number of records 
displayed in the SCSI Trace window displays in the upper right corner of the window.

Note: The tape drive's command buffer holds a maximum of 512 records. When the 
buffer is full, old records are removed on a FIFO (first in, first out) basis as new records 
are added.
? While the SCSI trace is being read from the tape drive command buffer, the Read button 
changes to Stop. Clicking Stop terminates the read operation.
? To clear the contents of the SCSI Trace window, click the Clear button.
The SCSI Trace window provides information about SCSI operations performed by the tape 
drive. 
Command (CDB)
The Command (CDB) portion of the window includes the name of the SCSI command 
(corresponding to the OP code in byte 0 of the CDB) and the first ten bytes of the command 
descriptor block (CDB).
MB/s
The MB/s column shows data transfer rate in MB per second for data transfer commands.
Host
The Host column shows the SCSI ID of the host computer issuing the command.
Sts
The Sts column shows the command status.
FSC
The FSC column shows the Fault Symptom Code (FSC), if any, resulting from the command.
M2 Monitor menu operations
The menu items displayed along the top of the main M2 Monitor window provide additional 
controls and operations.
File menu
The following operations are available from the File menu:
Load Code - Updates the microcode used by the tape drive (see page 17).
Write Code Load Tape - Creates a microcode update tape (see page 26).
Write Dump File - Saves a dump of the tape drive's microprocessor as a file on disk (see 
page 21).
Analyze Dump File - Displays a previously stored dump file (see page 24).
Configuration Options - Changes the selected configuration option for the tape drive (see 
page 32).
Reset - Resets the serial communications channel and attempts to reconnect to the tape drive.
Exit - Exits M2 Monitor. 
Write Code Load Tape
The Write Code Load Tape command on the File menu allows you to create a microcode 
update tape by writing the code image stored in the tape drive's RAM buffer to tape. This 
microcode update tape can then be used to update the microcode for other Exabyte M2 tape 
drives. 
Use the following steps to create a microcode update tape:
1. Unload any data cartridge currently in the tape drive.
2. Make sure that the tape drive is idle (no SCSI bus activity). If possible, disconnect the tape 
drive from the SCSI bus before you start writing the tape.
3. Using a serial cable, connect the tape drive to the computer running M2 Monitor and make 
sure that M2 Monitor has established connection with the tape drive. 
4. Select Serial Port as the communication mode, if it is not already selected. The Status line 
in the main M2 Monitor window should indicate "Connected to Drive."
5. Select Write Code Load Tape from the File menu. The Write Code Load window is 
displayed. 
 
4. Select the type of information you want to include on the tape:
? Firmware - The firmware currently stored in the tape drive control memories.
? EE Configuration Options - The vendor unique options from a *.i file. This file 
contains the custom configuration options that are set at the factory.

If you are making a microcode update tape that includes vendor unique configuration 
information from a *.i file on disk, enter the name of the file in response to the prompt. 
If you do not know the name of the file, click the Browse button to display a list of 
available files.

5. If you are using the M2 drive in an autoloader, you can (optionally) set the Number of 
tapes field to a number greater than 1. M2 Monitor will then process the Write Code Load 
Tape the specified number of times, relying on the autoloader to swap the tape at the end 
of each operation. This feature can be used to write more than one code load tape without 
requiring an operator to load each tape manually.
Note: The autoloader must be set to operate in Sequential mode.
6. Click Start to begin the transfer operation. The information panel below the bar displays 
messages and prompts during the transfer. 
7. When the program prompts you for a data cartridge, insert an AME data cartridge in the 
tape drive. A 22m tape is sufficient.
Important  Make sure that the data cartridge is write-enabled. Any data 
previously recorded on the tape will be overwritten and destroyed.
8. When the code transfer is complete, the tape drive automatically ejects the tape. A message 
appears on the screen indicating whether the operation was successful. Label the 
microcode update tape with the firmware version and type. Write-protect the tape.
Important A tape drive will not recognize the tape as a code load tape 
unless it is write protected.

Configuration Options
Selecting Configuration Options on the File menu allows you to modify the tape drive's 
customer selectable. See " The configuration options return to the settings established in this 
procedure the next time the tape drive is power cycled. 
Configuration Option descriptions" starting on page 32 for descriptions of each option.
 
Before modifying any configuration option settings, you can save a list of the current settings 
in an ASCII text file by clicking the Save As button. When you click Save As, a Save 
Configuration Options window opens. Select a path and enter a name for the file. The default 
extension for the file name is .txt.
Selecting a configuration option and clicking Modify displays a dialog box containing the 
possible settings for that option and a brief description of each setting. Double-clicking an 
option in the text display is a shortcut for selecting the option and clicking Modify. 

Depending on the options selected, the configuration options dialog box can take one of three 
forms:
? Mutually exclusive settings - You can choose one of the possible settings for the option. 
For example, you can select either buffered or unbuffered mode for write data operations.
 
? Multiple selections for a single option - You can set parameters for the option. For 
example, under the Disconnect Control option, you can modify the settings for three 
parameters: Modify Data Pointers, Disconnect Immediate, and Disconnect.
 

? Numeric or text input - You can enter a value for the selected option. Numeric entries 
can be either hexadecimal, using the format 0xnnnnnn, or decimal; decimal entries are 
automatically converted to hexadecimal. For example, you can enter a value of 0x0 to 
0x3C000 for the logical block size. The only restriction for text input is number of 
characters. The maximum number of characters allowed for each text option is displayed 
as the Value Range.
 
To change a configuration option: 
1. Select the desired option from the Configuration Options list.
	CAUTION
Changing the configuration options on your tape drive can significantly alter 
the operation of your tape drive. Before changing any option, you should use 
the Save As button to save a record of your current settings in an ASCII text 
file.
2. Click Modify.
3. Change the settings for the option as desired, then click OK to store the changes or click 
Restore to return the settings to their original values. A  symbol appears in the 
Configuration Options window next to each modified configuration option.

4. After changing all of the desired configuration options, click OK in the Configuration 
Options window to write the changes into the tape drive's nonvolatile memory.

or 

Click Cancel to leave the settings stored in the tape drive's nonvolatile memory 
unchanged.
5. Reset the tape drive by powering it off, then on again. The new option settings go into 
effect after a power-on reset and remain in effect until they are overridden with a MODE 
SELECT command. The configuration options return to the settings established in this 
procedure the next time the tape drive is power cycled. 
Configuration Option descriptions
The following sections describe each of the configuration options and the possible settings.
	CAUTION
Changing the configuration options on your tape drive can significantly alter 
the operation of your tape drive. Before changing any option, you should use 
the Save As button to save a record of your current settings in an ASCII text 
file.
Buffered Mode
Sets the buffer mode for write data operations. For streaming write operations, this option 
must be set to Buffered.
Buffered - A WRITE command will complete with Good status when the data is written into 
the buffer; that is, command status is returned before the data is written to the tape.
Unbuffered - A WRITE command will complete with Good status when the data is 
successfully written to the tape.
Data Compression Enable
Controls whether the tape drive compresses data during write operations.
ON (default) - The tape drive automatically compresses data during write operations. The tape 
drive monitors the compression ratio and switches between compressed and uncompressed 
when necessary.
OFF - The tape drive does not compress data.
Diagnostics: Tape History Log
Specifies how the tape drive writes the Tape History Log.
NORMAL - The Tape History Log is written when a tape is unloaded, if the tape is not write-
protected.
DISABLE - Prevents the tape drive from reading or writing a Tape History Log. Formatting 
the tape allocates space for a possible Tape History Log (from another drive).
Disconnect Control
Specifies whether the tape drive can disconnect from the initiator during a data transfer phase.
Modify Data Pointers option - Specifies whether the tape drive uses the Modify Data 
Pointers message to recover from a parity error. 
? OFF (default) - The tape drive does not use the Modify Data Pointers message to recover 
from a parity error.
? ON - The tape drive can use the Modify Data Pointers message to recover from a parity 
error.
Disconnect Immediate option - Specifies whether the tape drive disconnects from the initiator 
immediately after receiving the CDB.
? ON (default) - The tape drive only disconnects from the initiator immediately after the 
CDB phase if the initiator selects the tape drive, sends an Identify message with disconnect 
privilege on, and then sends the CDB. If any other sequence occurs or if ATN is raised 
during the CDB phase, the tape drive does not disconnect immediately after receiving the 
CDB.
? OFF - The tape drive can disconnect after the receiving the CDB.
Disconnect options - Specifies how the Data Transfer Disconnect Control (DTDC) byte in 
the Disconnect-Reconnect Page of MODE SELECT command operates.
? NORMAL (default) - Disconnects are not controlled by the DTDC byte.
? NODISCON - Once data transfer of a command has started, the tape drive should not 
disconnect until all of the data has been transferred.
? NOONBUS - Illegal if DTDC is implemented. If DTDC is not implemented, this option 
prevents all disconnects once data transfer has started.
? STAYONBUS - Once data transfer of a command has started, the tape drive should not 
disconnect until all of the data has been transferred.
Gap Threshold
Specifies the maximum number of consecutive gap blocks the tape drive writes to tape while 
waiting for data to be available for writing. When the maximum number is reached, the drive 
will stop and wait for more data. The motion threshold is used to restart the drive after it has 
stopped. A larger gap threshold may lessen the number of backhitches but can also increase the 
wasted tape area.
Valid values for the Gap Threshold byte are 00h to FFh. The default value is 00h, which 
represents 7/8 of a track (14 gap blocks). Any value greater than 07h is treated as 07h.
Logical Block Size
Specifies the power-on default fixed block size. The tape drive can be configured for any legal 
logical block size. The specified Logical Block Size is the size used when the Fixed bit is set in 
a READ, WRITE, or VERIFY command. Setting the Logical Block Size to 0 specifies 
variable-length block size (fixed-length blocks cannot be used). The default is 400h (1,024 
bytes).
Maximum Burst Length
Specifies the amount of data, in 512-byte increments, that the tape drive can transfer before it 
must disconnect. The tape drive supports all values for this field. The default is 0, which 
means there is no limit.
Mode Select/Sense: Default Density
Configures how the tape drive reports the density code in response to a MODE SENSE 
command.
OFF (default) - The tape drive never reports 00h for the density code. Instead, the tape drive 
reports the actual tape format. If the tape format is unknown, MODE SENSE returns the 
default density code.
ON - The tape drive always reports the 00h instead of the default density code.
Motion Threshold
Specifies the motion threshold for the tape drive. The motion threshold is the number of bytes 
that must be present in the buffer before a write operation causes tape motion or the number of 
bytes available in the buffer before a read operation causes tape motion. The value can also be 
interpreted as a binary fraction of 256 for the percentage of buffer space available for data.
0x80 (default) - Tape motion starts when the buffer is half-full for write operations and half-
empty for read operations.
0x20 to 0xD0 - Valid range for the motion threshold. The value is set to the desired percentage 
? 256 (for example 25% ? 256 = 64).
Operator: Button Operation
Configures the operation of the tape drive's unload button.
WAIT_DONE (default) - Pressing the unload button starts the eject process after the current 
command completes. Any queued command is discarded. Any data in the write buffer is 
flushed. The tape is rewound and the data cartridge is ejected.
ABORT_OPERATION - Pressing the unload button aborts the current command and any 
queued commands. Any data in the write buffer is flushed. The tape is rewound and ejected.
Operator: Cleaning Mode
Specifies how the tape drive alerts the user that the tape drive needs cleaning.
LIGHTS (default) - The "time to clean" LED lights when the drive requires cleaning.
NOTIFY - The "time to clean" LED lights and Check Condition status is returned when the 
drive requires cleaning. The Check Condition occurs when a new data cartridge is loaded or 
after a reset. Check Condition status is also returned when the cleaning is completed.
HALF-NOTIFY - Check Condition status is returned when the tape drive requires cleaning; 
the "time to clean" LED does not light. The Check Condition occurs when a new data cartridge 
is loaded or after a reset.
NONE - The tape drive does not issue any alerts when the tape drive needs cleaning or after a 
cleaning is completed.
Operator: LCD Language
Specifies the language used to display words on the optional tape drive LCD.
Product Identification
Specifies the 16-character Product Identification field of a SCSI Inquiry command (bytes 16-
31).
Reporting Modes
Specifies the reporting modes used by the tape drive, as defined in SCSI-2. This includes 
reporting of setmark conditions and early warning on read operations.
Setmark option - Specifies whether the tape drive returns Check Condition status when it 
encounters a setmark on the tape during read, verify, space block, or space filemark 
operations.
? OFF - Do not report setmarks. This allows skipping over setmarks when reading or 
spacing on filemarks or blocks.
? ON (default) - Report setmarks while reading or spacing on filemarks or blocks.
Early Warning option - Specifies whether reporting of the early-warning condition (LEOT) 
during a read operation is enabled or disabled.
? OFF (default) - Do not report early warning condition on read operations.
? ON - Report early warning condition on read operations after completing the current 
READ command.
Request Sense: Clearing Sense Data
Specifies how the tape drive handles sense data when it receives a REQUEST SENSE 
command.
NOCLEAR (default) - Do not clear the sense data after a REQUEST SENSE command is 
received. Do not clear Unit Attention on the first REQUEST SENSE.
CLEARUA - Clear a pending Unit Attention when a REQUEST SENSE command is 
received. This option reports the Unit Attention and removes it from the host if no other sense 
data is active for host.
CLEAR - Report sense data in response to a REQUEST SENSE command, then clear the 
sense data. This is SCSI-2 compliant.
Request Sense: EOM Bit at LBOP
Specifies whether the tape drive reports end of media (EOM) when at the logical beginning of a 
partition (LBOP).
OFF - Do not set the EOM bit at LBOP unless LBOP was encountered during a backspace 
operation.
ON (default) - Set the EOM bit whenever at LBOP.
SCSI: Command Queuing
Specifies whether the tape drive queues one tape motion SCSI command for each host. This 
does not include Tag Queued commands. The drive does not reorder commands received. If a 
command is queued, it will be executed on a FIFO (first in, first out) basis. Information 
commands are not queued and execute immediately, regardless of the tape drive state.
NORMAL (default) - The tape drive queues one tape motion command until the current 
"immediate" operation is complete. Then it processes the queued command. The tape drive will 
not accept a tape motion command while a non-immediate tape motion command is in 
operation. (Note that this is not SCSI queuing.)
BUSY- The tape drive returns Busy status to tape motion commands when it is busy. 
Commands are not queued. The initiator can try the command again.
NOTREADY - The tape drive returns Check Condition status to tape motion commands if 
the tape drive is busy and sets the sense key to 2h (Not Ready) with a FSC of C6h (cause not 
known) or C7h (not ready but is in the process of becoming ready). Commands are not queued.
SCSI: Parity Error Handling
Specifies how the tape drive recovers from parity errors on the SCSI bus during data transfers.
FAIL_RW (default) - If a parity error occurs during a READ or WRITE command, the tape 
drive always returns Check Condition status indicating that a parity error occurred. If the 
parity error occurs on an information command, the tape drive attempts a Restore Data 
Pointers operation, if legal. If the tape drive cannot restore the data pointers, it returns Check 
Condition status. This option provides compatibility with drivers written for EXB-8500 tape 
drives.
RESTORE - If a parity error occurs during data transfer, the drive attempts a Restore Data 
Pointers operation. If the tape drive cannot restore the data pointers, it returns Check Condition 
status. 
SCSI: Synchronous Negotiation
Specifies how the tape drive responds to Synchronous Data Transfer Request messages.
RECEIVE (default) - The tape drive will respond to Synchronous Data Transfer Request 
messages, but will not initiate synchronous data transfers. After a reset, all synchronous modes 
are reset to asynchronous.
INITIATE - The tape drive responds normally to synchronous negotiations. It initiates 
synchronous negotiations with every initiator when it is first selected after a reset.
WIDE - The tape drive negotiates wide data transfer, then responds normally to synchronous 
negotiations. It initiates synchronous negotiations with every initiator when it is first selected 
after a reset.
SmartClean Mode

Specifies how the tape drive uses an AME with SmartCleanT data cartridge.
CLEAN_NORMAL (default) - SmartClean will be done at normal cleaning intervals, or 
during read and write retry operations whenever soft error rates exceed set thresholds for a 
specific length of time.
CLEAN_RECOV_DISABLE - SmartClean will be done only at normal cleaning intervals.
CLEAN_LEOP_TEST - Same as CLEAN_NORMAL, but also will be done whenever a 
Logical End of Partition (LEOP) is encountered in any partition during a write operation.
Write Delay Time
Specifies the write delay time in units of 100 ms. The write delay time is the maximum length 
of time that data remains in the buffer before the tape drive writes it to tape. When the delay 
time is exceeded, the data in the buffer is written to tape.
0 (default) - No maximum exists for the amount of time that data can remain in the buffer. (A 
partially full buffer is not flushed to tape until the tape drive receives a tape motion command. 
The data is only flushed when the initiator causes it to flush or when the tape is unloaded. 
Write data can remain in the buffer indefinitely.)
1 to 0xFFFF (in units of 100 msec) - If the value specified for the motion threshold has not 
been exceeded, data will remain in the buffer for 100 msec times the value specified for this 
field.

Examine menu
The following options are available from the Examine menu:
SCSI Trace - Provides access to the SCSI Trace window (see page 25).
Inquiry - Displays the Inquiry data returned by the tape drive (see page 39).
Request Sense - Displays the Request Sense data returned by the tape drive (see page 40).
Log Sense - Displays the Log Sense data returned by the tape drive (see page 42).
Mode Sense - Displays the Mode Sense data returned by the tape drive (see page 44).
Error Log - Displays error information currently stored in the tape drive's error log (see page 
46).
The Inquiry, Request Sense, Log Sense, and Mode Sense options display information obtained 
by simulating the corresponding SCSI command over the serial cable. Refer to the Exabyte 
Mammoth-2 Tape Drive SCSI Reference for a complete description of the information 
provided by these options.
Inquiry
Selecting the Inquiry option on the Examine menu displays the Standard Inquiry Data that the 
tape drive would return in response to a SCSI INQUIRY (12h) command.
 

Format Display - Specifies how the Standard Inquiry Data is displayed.
? Hex Dump - Displays the unformatted hexadecimal values for the Inquiry Data.
? Formatted - Decodes the hexadecimal values for the Inquiry Data and formats the 
information to make it easier to read and interpret.
Inquiry Page - Allows you to select which Inquiry Page you want to display.
? Standard - Displays Standard Inquiry Data (non-page mode). This page provides details 
about the device, including various capability and compliance items, Vendor and Product 
Identification strings, and the Unit Serial Number.
? Supported Vital Product - Displays the Supported Vital Product Page (Page Code=00h). 
This page provides a list of Inquiry Pages supported by the drive.
? Unit Serial Number - Displays the Unit Serial Number Page (Page Code=80h). This 
page provides the Unit Serial Number.
Save As - Saves the displayed Inquiry Data as an ASCII text file. Type a path and file name 
for the file. The default file name is inquiry.txt.
Close - Closes the Inquiry window. 
Request Sense
Selecting the Request Sense option on the Examine menu displays the Extended Sense Bytes 
that the tape drive would return in response to a SCSI REQUEST SENSE (03h) command.
 
Format Display - Specifies how the Extended Sense Bytes are displayed.
? Hex Dump - Displays the unformatted hexadecimal values for the Extended Sense Bytes.
? Formatted - Decodes the hexadecimal values for the Extended Sense Bytes and formats 
the information to make it easier to read and interpret.
Host/Initiator ID - This pull-down list allows you to specify the initiator for which you want 
the Request Sense information. After you specify the SCSI ID, click the Read button to 
retrieve the Extended Sense Bytes returned by the tape drive for that initiator.
? 0 through 15 - Selects the SCSI ID of the initiator. If the tape drive is configured for 
narrow SCSI, only SCSI IDs 0 through 7 are valid. If the tape drive is configured for wide 
SCSI, IDs 0 through 15 are valid.
? 16 through 21 - Displays specific Exabyte-unique Request Sense information for the tape 
drive.
	Note: IDs 16 through 21 do not correspond to the ID of any initiator.
? All - Displays the Request Sense information for all of the IDs (0 - 21). 
Save As - Saves the displayed Extended Sense Byte information as an ASCII text file. Type a 
path and file name for the file. The default file name is request.txt.
Close - Closes the Request Sense window. 

Log Sense
Selecting the Log Sense option on the Examine menu displays statistical information about 
various tape drive parameter values that the tape drive would return in response to a SCSI 
LOG SENSE (4Dh) command. The type of information displayed depends on which Log Sense 
page you select.
 
Format Display - Specifies how the Extended Sense Bytes are displayed.
? Hex Dump - Displays the unformatted hexadecimal values for selected Log Sense page.
? Formatted - Decodes the hexadecimal values for the selected Log Sense page and formats 
the information to make it easier to read and interpret.
Log Sense Page - Allows you to select which Log Sense Page you want to display.
? Write Error Counters - Displays the Write Error Counters Page (Page Code=02h). This 
page provides statistics about Total Rewrites, Total Errors Corrected, Total Times Errors 
Processed, Total Bytes Processed, and Total Unrecoverable Errors.
? Read Error Counters - Displays the Read Error Counters Page (Page Code=03h). This 
page provides statistics about Total Rereads, Total Errors Corrected, Total Times Errors 
Processed, Total Bytes Processed, and Total Unrecoverable Errors.
? Tape Alert - Displays the Tape Alert Page (Page Code=2Eh). This page provides a 
display of flags that indicate potential problems with the tape drive and/or tape. All the 
flags are displayed with their current setting of either ON (indicated by a 0x01 value) or 
OFF (indicated by a 0x00 value).
? Tape History Log - Displays the Tape History Log (Page Code= 35h). This page 
provides statistics about the data cartridge currently loaded in the tape drive. When a tape 
is loaded, these values are refreshed from the values found in the tape's Tape History Log 
entries. These numbers apply to the whole tape and are not specific to the current partition. 
If the cartridge is write protected, the THL values on the tape and on this page are not 
updated.
? Data Compression - Displays the Data Compression Page (Page Code=39h). This page 
provides statistics on the number of kilobytes of data transferred to data compressor and 
the number of kilobytes of data transferred to tape.
? Drive Usage - Displays the Drive Usage Information Page (Page Code=3Ch). This page 
provides lifetime statistics for the tape drive. If a counter reaches its maximum value, it 
remains at that value and does not roll to 0.
? Drive Temperature - Displays the Drive Temperature Page (Page Code=3Eh). This page 
provides the most recent temperature reading taken by the drive's internal sensor in 
degrees Celsius.
Save As - Saves the displayed LOG SENSE information as an ASCII text file. Type a path 
and file name for the file. The default file name is logsen.txt.
Close - Closes the Log Sense window.

Mode Sense
Selecting the Mode Sense option on the Examine menu displays information that the tape drive 
would return in response to a SCSI MODE SENSE (1Ah) command. The type of information 
displayed depends on which Mode Sense page you select.
 
Format Display - Specifies how the Extended Sense Bytes are displayed.
? Hex Dump - Displays the unformatted hexadecimal values for selected Mode Sense page.
? Formatted - Decodes the hexadecimal values for the selected Mode Sense page and 
formats the information to make it easier to read and interpret.
Mode Sense Page - Allows you to select which Mode Sense page you want to display.
? Read/Write Error Recovery - Displays the Read/Write Error Recovery Page (Page 
Code=01h). This page shows the  error recovery parameters used during read-write 
operations.
? Disconnect/Reconnect - Displays the Disconnect/Reconnect Page (Page Code=02h). This 
page shows parameters for how the tape drive handles disconnects and reconnects during 
data transfers.
? Control Mode - Displays the Control Mode Page (Page Code=0Ah). This page specifies 
whether the tape drive returns Check Condition status when one of its write and read error 
counters reaches a specified threshold. These thresholds are set using the SCSI LOG 
SELECT command.
? Data Compression - Displays the Data Compression Page (Page Code=0Fh). This page 
shows information about the tape drive's data compression and decompression function. 
Data compression and decompression are controlled using the SCSI MODE SELECT 
command.
? Device Configuration - Displays the Device Configuration Page (Page Code=10h). This 
page shows information about the configurable options for the tape drive, including media 
format, active partition, and the Read/Write Buffer Full Ratios.
? Medium Partition - Displays the Medium Partition Page (Page Code=11h). This page 
shows information about the data partitions on the currently inserted data cartridge.
? Tape Alert - Displays the Tape Alert Page (Page Code=1Ch). This page provides 
information about how informational exception conditions are handled by the drive.
? Vendor Unique 1 - Displays the Vendor Unique Parameters Page 1 (Page Code=20h). 
? Vendor Unique 2 - Displays the Vendor Unique Parameters Page 2 (Page Code=21h).
Save As - Saves the displayed Mode Sense page as an ASCII text file. Type a path and file 
name for the file. The default file name is modesenpagecode.txt, where pagecode is 
the MODE SENSE page code.
Close - Closes the Mode Sense window.

Error Log
Selecting the Error Log option on the Examine menu displays the error log that is maintained 
in the tape drive's EEPROM. 
 
Format Display - Specifies how the error log is displayed.
? Hex Dump - Displays the unformatted hexadecimal entries in the error log.
? Formatted - Decodes the hexadecimal entries in the error log and formats the information 
to make it easier to read and interpret. The formatted error log provides the following 
information about the last ten unique errors reported by the tape drive:
? Time Powered - The total time (years, days, hours, minutes, and seconds) that the 
tape drive had been powered on when the error occurred.
? FSC - The Fault Symptom Code associated with the error.
? PEC (Primary Error Code) and SEC (Secondary Error Code) - Exabyte-unique 
error codes that further identify the type and cause of the error.
? TapeID - The ID marker on the tape that was loaded in the tape drive at the time the 
error occurred. This ID consists of the serial number and load cycle number of the 
tape drive that first wrote to the inserted data cartridge.
? Reps - The number of times that the listed error occurred during the current 24-hour 
period. The tape drive does not keep a record of each repetition of an error occurring 
within this 24-hour period. Instead, it increments the Reps counter each time the same 
error occurs.
? Temp - The temperature of the tape path in ?C at the time of the error.
? Details - Further expands the formatted error log entries to provide a brief description of 
the FSC code.

Save As - Saves the displayed error log information as an ASCII text file. Type a path and file 
name for the file. The default file name is errorlog.txt.
Close - Closes the Error Log window.
Note:  Depending on how long the tape drive has been in operation, it is possible that not all 
of the entries in the Error Log are valid. For example, the last entry in the preceding screen 
shot is not valid.
Control menu
The Control menu provides access to the Servo Commands window, from which you can issue 
basic motion commands to the tape drive for emergency tape extraction, troubleshooting 
hardware, and testing.
	CAUTION
These servo commands allow basic tape motion to be observed and are not 
intended to be used when the tape drive is connected to the SCSI bus. After 
using these commands, you must perform a power-on reset to continue 
normal SCSI operation.
? Command buttons - Issue servo commands to the tape drive.
? Command Status - Indicates the status of the servo command just issued.
? Close - Closes the Servo Commands window.
 
The following buttons are available in the Servo Commands window:
Reset Servo
Resets the servo processor. For this command to work, the servo processor must be able to 
receive and process the command. This command does not reset the control processor, and will 
likely confuse the control processor if you attempt to continue normal operation after the servo 
reset.
Load Tape Path
Loads tape into the tape path.
Unload Tape Path
Causes the tape drive to unload the tape without rewinding it first. This is useful if you suspect 
that your tape drive is damaged and might cause tape damage during a rewind operation.
	CAUTION
Under normal operating conditions, rewind the tape before unloading it to 
avoid the possibility of damaging the data area of the tape.
Track
Advances the tape forward at normal speed using the tape drive's native tape format tracking 
(read) mode.
Forward 1X
Advances the tape at normal speed.
Backward 1X
Moves the tape in the reverse direction at normal read speed.
Rewind
Rewinds the tape to the physical beginning of tape (PBOT).
Unload Cartridge
Unloads the data cartridge from the tape drive.
Important  The tape must already be unloaded from the tape path.
Stop
Stops the tape motion.
Forward 10X
Advances the tape forward at ten times normal speed.
Backward 10X
Rewinds the tape at ten times normal speed.
Setup menu
The Setup menu provides options for configuring M2 Monitor. These options allow you to set 
the baud rate for communications between the computer and the tape drive and to specify 
default directories for the various types of files used or created by M2 Monitor.
COM Port
Selecting COM Port from the Setup menu opens a window from which you can select the 
COM port and baud rate for the serial communications between the tape drive and M2 
Monitor. Windows supports baud rate settings from 9600 to 115200. The default baud rate is 
9600 if the tape drive is installed in a library or 19200 if the tape drive is installed in an 
Exabyte enclosure. If desired, you can also specify that the current COM port and baud rate 
display in the M2 Monitor title bar.  
 
Directories
Selecting Directories from the Setup menu opens a window from which you can specify the 
default directory for microcode (Code Load) files, Dump files, and Log files. The default 
directory is used if you do not specify a path when requesting one of these files.
 
Logging
Selecting Logging from the Setup menu opens a window from which you can specify the path 
and file name for log files The default file name is used if you do not specify a name for a log 
file. Log files can be used by Exabyte Technical Support to debug problems encountered while 
using M2 Monitor.
 
If you select Enable Log File, M2 Monitor creates an ASCII text file that contains a log of all 
the commands sent to the tape drive and information about how the tape drive responded to 
those commands.
Troubleshooting - Serial Port Connection
Problems starting M2 Monitor 
The Status line indicates "Disconnected" when you start M2 Monitor. Make sure that the 
connection between the computer serial port and the tape drive Monitor port is secure.
Problems using M2 Monitor 
? If you are have problems communicating with the tape drive, select Reset from the File 
menu to reset the serial communications. If you still cannot connect to the drive, try exiting 
and restarting the M2 Monitor program.
? Sometimes the serial channel becomes jammed and selecting Reset from the File menu 
does not clear the error. Quit the M2 Monitor program and restart it. If the drive still does 
not connect to M2 Monitor, try resetting the drive.
? If the animated Exabyte icon shows no activity or if the Status continuously displays 
"Disconnecting" or "Attempting to Connect," M2 Monitor may not be able to establish 
communications with the tape drive. Check that all power and monitor cables are secure. 
Also verify that you are only running one instance of M2 Monitor.
? If you are communicating with the tape drive but you are getting unexpected results, try a 
slower baud rate. To select a different baud rate, select COM Port from the Setup menu. 
In the Setup COM Port window, select a lower baud rate and OK to set the new baud rate.
? Computers with 486 or Pentium processors can usually operate at 38K, 57K, or 115K 
baud. If you have one of these computers, select a high baud rate for the COM port. This 
significantly reduces the time required to transfer a dump file from the tape drive to the 
computer. Using a faster baud rate also decreases the time required to load new microcode 
into the tape drive. If you experience problems, reset the baud rate to a level that provides 
error-free performance.

Index

A
Analyze Dump
command description, 24
using, 24
B
baud rate
displaying, 49
selecting for COM port, 49
supported, 49
C
code load
See microcode update tape, 17
COM Port
baud rates supported by the tape drive, 49
description, 49
selecting baud rate, 49
command buffer, viewing with SCSI trace command, 
25
Configuration Options
Buffered Mode, 32
Button Operation, 35
Cleaning Mode, 35
Data Compression Control, 32
Diagnostics, Tape History Log, 33
Disconnect Control, 33
Gap Threshold, 34
LCD Language, 35
Logical Block Size, 34
Maximum Burst Length, 34
Mode Select/Sense - Default Density, 34
Motion Threshold, 34
overview, 29
Product Identification, 35
Reporting Modes, 35
Request Sense - Clearing Sense Data, 36
Request Sense - EOM bit at LBOP, 36
SCSI - Command Queuing, 37
SCSI - Parity Error Handling, 37
SCSI - Synchronous Negotiation, 38
SmartClean mode, 38
using to modify vendor unique options, 31
Write Delay Time, 38
configuring M2 Monitor, 49
connecting the serial cable, 9
D
dump file
analyzing, 24
using the Write Dump command to create, 21
E
Examine menu
Error Log, 46
Inquiry, 39
Log Sense, 42
Mode Sense, 44
Request Sense, 40
I
installing M2 Monitor, 9
L
LCD language, changing, 35
Load Code
command description, 17
See also microcode update tape, 17
updating tape drive microcode, 17
using SCSI communications, 19
using serial port communications, 17
log files
creating, 50
specifying the default directory, 49
M
M2 Monitor
configuring, 49
installation requirements, 7
installing, 9
main window, 16
overview, v
quitting, 13
required equipment and software, 7
starting, 12
uninstalling, 11
microcode file
copying existing, 18
obtaining new, 17
specifying the default directory, 49
using the Load Code command to update, 17
vendor unique options, 27
microcode update tape
creating using Write Code Load Tape command, 26
See also, microcode file, 26
O
overview of M2 Monitor, v
S
SCSI Trace
command description, 25
using to view command buffer, 25
serial communications
cable requirements, 8
connecting the serial cable, 9
Servo Commands
Backward 10X, 48
Backward 1X, 48
description, 47
Forward 10X, 48
Forward 1X, 48
Load Tape Path, 48
Reset Servo, 48
Rewind, 48
Stop, 48
Track, 48
Unload Cartridge, 48
Unload Tape, 48
using, 48
T
troubleshooting, 51
U
uninstalling M2 Monitor, 11
using Windows
locating files, 15
M2 Monitor menus, 13
online help, 13
option buttons and list boxes, 14
quitting Mammoth Monitor, 13
using the mouse, 12
V
vendor unique options
including on code load tape, 27
microcode file, 27
modifying using the Configuration Options 
command, 31
W
Write Code Load Tape, using to create a microcode 
update tape, 27
Write Dump
command description, 21
using SCSI communications, 22
using serial port communications, 21
using to create a dump file, 21


8	Exabyte M2 Monitor Software for Windows
User's Guide	lv
User's Guide	v
User's Guide	9
User's Guide	53
