Symptom :  What do the LED lights mean on my VXA-1 drive?
 
Cause :  What do the LED lights mean on my VXA-1 drive?
 
Resolution : 

The VXA-1 tape drive uses four LEDs to indicate its operational status.

LED #1
LED #2
LED #3
LED #4
Left Arrow
Rectangle
Right Arrow
Circle
Operational Conditions
Power On Self-Test a (LEDs illuminate sequentially)
No Tape Loaded OFF OFF OFF GREEN
Interface Activity (LED 4 may flash with other LED operations) OFF OFF OFF Flashing GREEN
Tape Loading or Unloading OFF Flashing GREEN OFF Light GREEN
Tape Ready, Idle OFF GREEN OFF Light GREEN
Reading OFF OFF GREEN Flashing GREEN
Writing OFF OFF YELLOW Flashing GREEN
Space Forward OFF OFF Flashing GREEN Light GREEN
Space Reverse or Rewinding Flashing GREEN OFF OFF Light GREEN
Cleaning in Process Flashing GREEN OFF Flashing GREEN Light GREEN
Service Notification
Cleaning Required OFF Flashing YELLOW OFF Light GREEN
Cleaning Tape Completely Used OFF Flashing YELLOW and GREEN OFF Light GREEN
Recoverable Error b YELLOW GREEN YELLOW Light GREEN
Unrecoverable Error b YELLOW OFF YELLOW Light GREEN
Factory Service Required c (Flashing green or yellow) Flashing RED
Broken Tape Flashing YELLOW and GREEN OFF Flashing YELLOW and GREEN Light GREEN
Format Recovery d OFF OFF Flashing YELLOW and GREEN Light GREEN
Temperature Too High in Tape Path OFF OFF OFF Flashing ORANGE
Self-Test
Self-Test Running (Fast scrolling green) Light GREEN
Self-Test Passed GREEN GREEN GREEN Light GREEN
Self-Test Failed e YELLOW YELLOW YELLOW Light GREEN
FSC Display
FSC Display f (May be illuminated green or yellow)
Firmware Load
Loading Firmware Flashing YELLOW Flashing GREEN Flashing YELLOW ORANGE
Loading Firmware Flashing YELLOW and GREEN Flashing YELLOW and GREEN Flashing YELLOW and GREEN ORANGE

a For the power-on self-test, the LEDs scroll sequentially right to left then left to right in yellow and green. LED 4 illuminates in red and green. When POST is completed, LED 4 is illuminated in green.

b Retry the operation with another tape. An Unrecoverable Error may be the result of loading a VXA-2 formatted tape in a VXA-1 drive. If the problem persists, try power cycling the drive to clear the error. If you cannot resolve the problem yourself, contact Tandberg Data Technical Support. To capture a log of a problem, download the VXA Tool from this web site.

c You may need to return the drive for service; contact Tandberg Data Technical Support. To capture a log of a problem, download the VXA Tool from this web site.

d The tape was written without a valid end-of-data mark, which often occurs if you power-down the drive while the drive was writing. The tape drive will perform a format recovery, which involves reading the data to determine where the end of data is located. This may take as long as 2 to 3 hours.

e If a self-test fails, clean the drive with a VXAtape cleaning cartridge. If the failure still occurs, try a new tape.

f To invoke the FSC display, hold the eject (unload) button for 3 seconds. This will display the most recent drive fault symptom code to be displayed in hex. The high order digit is displayed by LEDs 1-4 in green and the low order digit is displayed by LEDs 1-4 in yellow. After displaying the high and low order digits, a brief 1-second pause will occur then the display will show the previous FSC. Another 1-second pause, and the 3rd oldest FSC is displayed. A 2-second pause and the display will start over, looping the display 5 times. After five iterations, the drive goes back to a normal state. The start of the FSC display sequence is designated by all four LEDs on green for 0.3 seconds. The end of sequence is designated by all four LEDs on yellow for 0.3 seconds.

 






Help us improve!
Did this document help in solving your issue?  Yes No

Feedback: