/format-map

The magnetic & optical atlas.

Place an unknown object in the right recovery family before choosing a transport. Physical resemblance is evidence, not proof.

Tape Magnetic disk Optical / MO Rare

eoflabs://format-mapphysical taxonomy

MAGNETIC + OPTICAL MEDIA
├─ MAGNETIC TAPE
│  ├─ open reel / loop / cassette
│  ├─ linear cartridge: DLT / LTO / ADR
│  ├─ quarter-inch: QIC / Travan / SLR
│  ├─ helical: DDS / Exabyte / AIT / VXA
│  └─ enterprise: IBM / StorageTek / DTF
├─ MAGNETIC DISK
│  ├─ flexible: 8 in / 5.25 in / 3.5 in / ED
│  └─ cartridge: Bernoulli / SyQuest / Zip / Jaz / REV / HDD RDX
└─ OPTICAL + MAGNETO-OPTICAL
   ├─ CD / DVD / Blu-ray / DVD-RAM
   ├─ MO / MiniDisc / MD Data / Hi-MD
   └─ WORM / UDO

OUT OF SCOPE: SEMICONDUCTOR FLASH

Magnetic tape

the broadest branch

Open reel & loops

7-track, 9-track, DECtape and computer cassette.

DLT / SDLT

TK50/TK70 ancestry, classic DLT, DLT VS and Super DLT.

DLT →

LTO

LTO-1 through LTO-10. EOF Labs currently covers generations 4–7.

LTO →

DDS / DAT

4 mm helical data tape through DAT320.

DDS/DAT →

8 mm helical

Exabyte/Mammoth, AIT and VXA are separate families.

8 mm →

QIC / Travan / SLR

Quarter-inch standards across minicomputers, workstations and PCs.

QIC →

Enterprise tape

IBM, StorageTek and other institutional systems.

Enterprise →

AIT / S-AIT / ADR

Specialist Sony and OnStream branches with distinct recording systems.

Specialist tape →

Magnetic disk

flexible and cartridge

Floppy / ED / SuperDisk

5.25-inch and 3.5-inch media, ED, Floptical and LS-120/240.

Floppy →

Zip

100, 250 and 750 MB removable magnetic disks.

Zip →

Bernoulli / Jaz / SyQuest / REV

Cartridge disks used in graphics, publishing, audio and backup.

Cartridge disk →

HDD RDX

Magnetic hard-disk cartridges are in scope; SSD-based RDX is not.

RDX →

Optical & magneto-optical

disc and cartridge

CD / DVD / Blu-ray

Pressed, recordable and rewritable optical discs.

Magneto-optical

3.5-inch and 5.25-inch MO.

MiniDisc / MD Data / Hi-MD

Audio and data branches of the MO family.

WORM / UDO / DVD-RAM

Institutional archive and random-access optical systems.

Optical & MO →

Long tail: stringy tape, Microdrive, machine-specific floppy, DTF, DST, ADR, S-AIT, WORM and unusual cartridge optical systems all matter because an archive may contain exactly one of them.

Cannot identify your media?

Send photographs of both sides, every label and product code, and anything known about the original computer.

hello@eoflabs.com