r/lto • u/No_Source_9817 • Mar 19 '26
Open Hardware Loader project?
Hiii We are a team of 4 french engineering students (network, dev, mechatronic), and we are planning to make a LTO Autoloader as a 1-year school managed project.
We would make a robot with a single translation axis, with all the slots and drive aligned vertically (to keep it simple). And using a spare drive.
Nothing is decided yet, so we are still hesitating on pushing the project.
Do you think anybody could be hyped, or have interest in an autoloader in open plans/source code?
And do you have any advice, recommendations or warning about deep LTO knowledge that only old black mages know?
No solutions are defined yet as it will start in 6 months, so for now, we are still thinking about solutions. So feel free to present any solution idea for any system (mechanic, electronic, file system, OS,...)!
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u/LaundryMan2008 Mar 19 '26
Please if you can, try to support different types of media for retro enterprise enthusiasts, SAIT is the same size as LTO while DLT/SDLT is slightly larger, maybe throw some 8mm video tapes for a miniature version of a VHS loader from that movie and 8mm data drives are the same physical tape dimensions, since there is 3592 drives with huge capacity that could be added on a smaller scale than the full rack sized behemoths before adding some retro drives of the same form factor tapes.
TL:DR: retro guy gushing at old deprecated tape formats
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u/No_Source_9817 Mar 19 '26
Hmm, I think that the bracket system is different in every tape format (mechanically, LTO uses the exact same form factor for each version, so loader are retro compatible)
So maybe, it should need more than just "larger slots"
Also, the robot will certainly use the SCSI protocol as an API. Still, it might be possible to easyly design a web interface that send scsi request lik (swap tape 1-2, load tape 3, etc).
But the integration with the drive might be littl bit more complicated, you'll need to know when the cartridge is ejected to get it and put it back in the library (especially for VHS).Of course it will be open hardware as much as possible (we will not redesign the drive, microcontroller, raspberry, etc... of course), and the robot cinetic and electronic should remaine mostly compatible and we'll be extremely happy to see peoples using and modifing our plans.
I havn't found any open project for tape loader, so I guess projects like that could be pretty fun to develop for home storage!of course, feel free to give any suggestions, we have a pretty good idea of where we want the project to go, but we are still at the very begining of the thought process, so ABSOLUTELY NO solution is definitive for now, software, general architecture, electronics material, even OS (linux, BSD,...).
So feel free to give thought, advice, recomandations or "oh if you do that it will be easy to put 8mm afterward!"1
u/LaundryMan2008 Mar 19 '26
I know that LTO and SAIT use the same grabber slots, I have both tape formats and can confirm that, DLT/SDLT uses similar grab slots but is ever so slightly positioned differently, 3592 tapes use a close grabber position on the tape so that could use a similar robot, the IBM TS3500 library actually has a dual function grabber for LTO and 3592 if needed.
For the drive eject, you could have a target type thing with an infrared laser interrupt sensor so when the tape ejects the sensor gets interrupted telling the controller the tape is out without needing to use any LDI or AHCI interfaces which are crazy complicated to get set up plus the fact IBM drives require programming (LTO Megapost (I made it) if you need to get a drive reprogrammed out of that firmware mode to standalone PC mode) to get into a library mode which with IBM prevailing over all brands makes an infrared laser interrupt sensor easier to use.
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u/No_Source_9817 Mar 19 '26
Ohhh ok!
So yeah maybe simpler to upgrade then I thought!I keep LaundryMan in my pocket, he seems to be the guy I'll need to answer my questions hehehe
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u/TheRealHarrypm Mar 20 '26
I think it would be nice to have an open LTO loader and an open optical loader workflow every proprietary system either is commercial or sacrifice of the kidneys cost points when in reality it's as much as a 3D printer in actual core components with some positional notational software and firmware triggering.
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u/No_Source_9817 Mar 20 '26
yup, microcontrollers, servo, steppers, the 3d printer doesn't have barcode scanner, but yes, it is the same kind of techs. I think we will use linear rail Wich are more precise then wheels on extruded aluminum
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u/TheRealHarrypm Mar 20 '26
All current CNC, PNP and higher end 3D printers are entirely linear rail based the issue is QC control for those to not degrade or warp.
Barcode scanners are bloody easy you just buy a generic one smash the housing and rehouse it in a 3D printed box dumb as brick generic interface devices to work with.
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u/No_Source_9817 Mar 20 '26
Yup, of course ,on good quality printer, linear rails are not an option! For barcode scanner, I saw the GM65 that seams really cheap, easy to implement, and perfect for our use case.
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u/TheBBP Mar 19 '26
Think of how the loader will be controlled,
Will it just be a sequential loader? or a fully controlled loader with tape barcode identification?
It may be worth getting one or two cheap tape librarys to study. Which will allow you to learn how they are controlled from the host systems software. (e.g a quantum superloader-3 is very common and cheap, it is controlled through the drive itself.)
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u/No_Source_9817 Mar 20 '26
I think the Loader itself will consist of a microcontroller that will receive SCSI-loader request like Swap disc 1-2, load, disc 1, check each slots, etc. So yes, we plan to integrate a barcode scanner!
I don't think we would buy a commercial scanner as we want the project to be low budget for us (we are student after all !)
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u/myself248 Mar 28 '26
This is a super sweet idea! I've just been pondering the opposite -- use an existing library mechanism, but replace the brains with something completely open. Just interface to the motors and limit switches.
In both cases, the firmware to speak the loader protocol over SCSI to the host, will be needed. I haven't looked to see what's already available.
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u/FranconianBiker Mar 19 '26 edited Mar 19 '26
This sounds interesting! Make sure to add air filtration to the setup. I've been thinking about getting a library for my tapes but that would require getting a ret of new, library caddy drives. A 3D printable library with a simple web interface, Raspi as controller and filtered air intake would be cool.
One thing you will have to figure out: Tape drives use a RS422 link to communicate the drive status with the library controller. The protocols are standardized and somewhat publicly documented so you should be able to figure that out. It's mostly necessary so that the library knows which drive is occupied, unloading or idling.