1/8 G2 autoloader - remove both magazines

[Michele Pensotti]

Hi all, I have this question regarding the 1/8 G2 autoloader.
For workflow reasons, we need to change the magazines every day, alternating LEFT(monday)-RIGHT(tuesday)-LEFT(wednesday)-RIGHT(thursday)-LEFT(friday).
The problem is that we can't remove BOTH magazines at once, since the autoloader prevents the second magazine removal until the first isn't in place again.
I ask this because the operator(s) have to wait for a full inventory every time we pull-insert one magazine, thus we have to wait quite some time each time, and also the drive has to work a lot more for nothing (it wears out every time it inventories).

ALSO, isn't there a way to disable automatic inventory and have it done only on demand?

Thank you in advance,

Michele

[TapeDrive Killer · Accepted solution]

Hi Michele !
I think there is no way you can take both magazines at the same time using the OCP, also the loader will always perform an inventory every time yo insert media. Here is a Link about the manual release of the magazines.
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c00816153&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

[Michele Pensotti]

Thank you, I see that you must disconnect power from the autoloader before manually removing the magazines, so we'll have to stick to changing one magazine at a time and wait for it to be reinventoried.

Thanks anyway,

Michele

[Michele Pensotti]

Since there's no solution we'll stick with our current operation scheme.

Thanks anyway!

Michele

[Curtis Ballard]

I'm sorry this method doesn't work well for you but for safety reasons we had to have the library behave that way. It's really difficult for most people to reach into a magazine opening but somebody might be able to reach in and receive a minor injury if the picker were to move while the magazine is out so the autoloader requires the magazine to be installed before it will move and as soon as it moves the magazine is locked.

I'll give your feedback to the product team. There may be some way to make that easier in a future firmware release.

[Torsten.]

IMHO the solution *could* be that easy:
available menu items are left/right/both - just like for the MSL5000, MSL6000 and the old galactica.

[Curtis Ballard]

It's a different hardware architecture where the robotics push a lever to release the magazines so "both" isn't physically possible. It has to be one at a time.