Term of the Moment
AI chip
Redirected from: SAIT
Definition: AIT
(Advanced Intelligent Tape) An earlier magnetic tape technology from Sony that used 8mm cartridges similar in appearance to 8mm video cassettes but were of higher quality. Capable of data compression up to 2.6:1, AIT drives employed helical scan recording and advanced metal evaporated (AME) tape. AME media contained cobalt and provided greater bit density and less head wear than regular magnetic particle media.
Super AIT
AIT and half-inch Super AIT (SAIT) satisfied different performance and capacity requirements. AIT spanned the range from entry-level (AIT Turbo) to midrange/high-end enterprise (AIT), while SAIT began at the enterprise midrange point. In 2010, Sony discontinued AIT drive manufacturing.
AIT and Super AIT Cartridges
Early Helical Scan Formats
Super AIT
AIT and half-inch Super AIT (SAIT) satisfied different performance and capacity requirements. AIT spanned the range from entry-level (AIT Turbo) to midrange/high-end enterprise (AIT), while SAIT began at the enterprise midrange point. In 2010, Sony discontinued AIT drive manufacturing.
Native Capacity
Type In Gigabytes
AIT-1, 2 Turbo 40, 80
AIT-3, 3EX 100, 150
AIT-4, 5 200, 400
SAIT-1, 2 500, 800
AIT (top) 8mm and SAIT (bottom) half-inch cartridges included the Memory-In-Cassette (MIC) feature, which was an EEPROM chip that stored indexing information. SAIT added Remote MIC (R-MIC), which allowed the chip to be read without pulling the tape from the cartridge. See magnetic tape.
These were the helical scan tape formats used for digital storage. Today, all are obsolete. See helical scan.