3M DC6150 data-cartridge archival-storage integrity estimation via accelerated life testing

Twenty-five 3M DC6150 data cartridges were subjected to an accelerated life test (ALT) at 40°C to simulate approximately twenty years of shelf life aging. At the end of each aging cycle, measurements were made of data recovery, tape tension, drive force, and drive belt tension. Changes in these measurements provided a means of characterizing the cartridge reliability at 40°C. Attempts to restore archived data were 100% successful, and little or no change was detected in the drive force values over the course of the ALT. Tape and drive belt tension data are analyzed in more detail to characterize data cartridge reliability. The data analyses of this study indicate that the shelf life reliability of the tested data cartridges is greater than 90% after 40 years of aging, and that shelf life reliability at 20 years is near 100%