Overview
ISO/IEC 13842:1995 - "Information technology - 130 mm optical disk cartridges for information interchange - Capacity: 2 Gbytes per cartridge" defines a complete interchange specification for 130 mm optical disk cartridges (ODCs) with a nominal capacity of 2 Gbytes per cartridge (two sides, nominally 1 Gbyte per side). The Standard specifies mechanical, physical and optical characteristics, the on-disk format (tracks, sectors, ECC and modulation), magneto‑optical recording requirements, environmental and safety conditions, and the conformance testing framework including a defined Reference Drive.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Physical & mechanical characteristics: Detailed case and disk dimensions, hub and clamping zones, shutter and sensor openings to ensure mechanical interchangeability between drives.
- Environments & tests: Test, operating, storage and transportation conditions plus temperature‑shock and drop tests.
- Reference Drive & conformance: Definition of a Reference Drive (optics, tracking, read channels, rotation) and conditions for claiming conformance by cartridges, generating systems and receiving systems.
- Format of information: Track geometry (physical and logical tracks), sector layouts (512‑byte and 1 024‑byte sector sizes supported), control tracks, lead‑in/lead‑out, and formatted zones (user, manufacturer, embossed).
- Recording & magneto‑optical characteristics: Write/erase conditions, write pulse definitions, Kerr rotation, modulation methods, figure of merit and signal/noise and jitter requirements for reliable read/write.
- Defect management: Primary and Secondary Defect Lists (PDL/SDL), initialization, certification and slip/linear replacement algorithms for both rewritable and write‑once areas.
- Quality requirements: Minimum quality metrics for embossed and user‑written data, error correction (Reed‑Solomon, CRC), interleaving and timing/jitter measurement methods.
- Annexes & test methods: Extensive normative and informative annexes covering measurement procedures (jitter, C/N, figure of merit), environment derivation, sector retirement, and implementation‑independent mark quality.
Applications and practical value
- Enables reliable data interchange between optical disk drives across manufacturers.
- Used for archival storage, backups, and long‑term offline media interchange where mechanical and format compatibility is critical.
- Supports mixed media types (rewritable, write‑once, pre‑recorded/embossed) for distribution, duplication and archival workflows.
- Provides test and conformance procedures for product qualification, QA labs and procurement specifications.
Who should use this standard
- Optical disk and cartridge manufacturers (media, drive vendors)
- Systems integrators and data center/archival managers specifying interchange media
- Conformance testers, certification labs and standards bodies
- Software/hardware developers implementing low‑level drive interfaces and file/volume interchange layers
Related standards
- Normative reference: IEC 950 (Safety of information technology equipment) is cited for electrical and safety requirements.
Keywords: ISO/IEC 13842:1995, 130 mm optical disk cartridges, 2 Gbytes, ODC, magneto‑optical, conformance testing, track and sector format, defect management, reference drive.
Open preview (PDF)Information technology — 130 mm optical disk cartridges for information interchange — Capacity: 2 Gbytes per cartridge
