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<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Exatron Stringy Floppy</span></span>
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<p>The <b>Exatron Stringy Floppy</b> (or <b>ESF</b>) is a continuous-loop <a href="Tape_drive" title="Tape drive">tape drive</a> developed by <a href="Exatron" title="Exatron">Exatron</a>.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2></div>
<p>The company introduced an <a href="S-100_bus" title="S-100 bus">S-100</a> stringy floppy drive at the 1978 <a href="West_Coast_Computer_Faire" title="West Coast Computer Faire">West Coast Computer Faire</a>, and a version for the <a href="RadioShack" title="RadioShack">Radio Shack</a> <a href="TRS-80" title="TRS-80">TRS-80</a> in 1979. Exatron sold about 4,000 TRS-80 drives by August 1981 for $249.50 each, stating that it was "our best seller by far". The tape cartridge is about the size of a business card, but about <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1154941027">
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</style><span class="frac"><span class="num">3</span>⁄<span class="den">16</span></span> inch (4.8 mm) thick.<sup id="cite_ref-barry19810831_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-barry19810831-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The magnetic tape inside the cartridge is <span class="frac"><span class="num">1</span>⁄<span class="den">16</span></span> inch (1.6 mm) wide.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Format">Format</h2></div>
<p>There is no single catalog of files; to load a specific file the drive searches the entire tape, briefly stopping to read the header of each found file. The tape loop only moves in one direction, so a file that starts behind the current location cannot be read until the drive searches the entire loop for it. The device is capable of reading and writing <a href="Random_access" title="Random access">random access</a> data files (unlike a <a href="Datacassette" class="mw-redirect" title="Datacassette">datacassette</a>). If a record being sought has been overshot, the drive advances the tape until it loops around to the beginning and continues seeking from there.<sup id="cite_ref-halfhill198307_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-halfhill198307-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>According to <i>Embedded Systems</i> magazine, the Exatron Stringy Floppy uses <a href="Manchester_code" title="Manchester code">Manchester encoding</a>, achieving 14K read-write speeds and the code controlling the device was developed by <a href="Li-Chen_Wang" title="Li-Chen Wang">Li-Chen Wang</a>, who also wrote a <a href="Tiny_BASIC" title="Tiny BASIC">Tiny BASIC</a>, the basis for the <a href="Level_I_BASIC" title="Level I BASIC">TRS-80 Model I Level I BASIC</a>.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Reception">Reception</h2></div>
<p>In the July 1983 issue of <i><a href="Compute!'s_Gazette" title="Compute!'s Gazette">Compute!'s Gazette</a></i>, the Exatron Stringy Floppy for the <a href="VIC-20" title="VIC-20">VIC-20</a> and the <a href="Commodore_64" title="Commodore 64">Commodore 64</a> was reviewed. Calling the peripheral "a viable alternative" to tape or disk, the magazine noted that "under ideal conditions, a Stringy Floppy can outperform a <a href="Commodore_1540" title="Commodore 1540">VIC-1540</a>/<a href="Commodore_1541" title="Commodore 1541">1541</a> disk drive". <a href="Texas_Instruments" title="Texas Instruments">Texas Instruments</a> licensed the Stringy Floppy as the Waferdrive for its cancelled <a href="TI-99/4A" title="TI-99/4A">TI 99/2</a> computer and a <a href="Compact_Computer_40" title="Compact Computer 40">Compact Computer 40</a> peripheral which never shipped.<sup id="cite_ref-mace19830530saddle_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-mace19830530saddle-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-halfhill198307_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-halfhill198307-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Use_and_distribution">Use and distribution</h2></div>
<p>The Exatron drive was initially used in the <a href="Prophet-10" class="mw-redirect" title="Prophet-10">Prophet-10</a> music synthesizer and was later replaced with a micro-cassette drive from Braemar, reportedly due to unreliability and poor mutual compatibility of the former.<sup id="cite_ref-Reid_1999_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Reid_1999-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>Cartridges, or "wafers", were available in tape lengths ranging from 5 to 75 feet (1.5 to 22.9 m).<sup id="cite_ref-barry19810831_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-barry19810831-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Known data capacities/tape length are: 4 kB/5 feet, 16 kB/20 feet, 48 kB/50 feet, and 64 kB/75 feet.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> One complete cycle through a 20-foot (6.1 m) tape takes 55 to 65 seconds, depending on the number of files it contains.<sup id="cite_ref-halfhill198307_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-halfhill198307-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div>
<ul><li><a href="ZX_Microdrive" title="ZX Microdrive">ZX Microdrive</a></li>
<li><a href="Rotronics_Wafadrive" title="Rotronics Wafadrive">Rotronics Wafadrive</a></li></ul>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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<li id="cite_note-barry19810831-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-barry19810831_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-barry19810831_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">
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</style><cite id="CITEREFBarry,_John1981" class="citation news cs1">Barry, John (1981-08-31). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=rD0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA47">"Stringy Floppy from Exatron"</a>. <i><a href="InfoWorld" title="InfoWorld">InfoWorld</a></i>. pp. <span class="nowrap">47–</span>48<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">15 February</span> 2015</span>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-halfhill198307-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-halfhill198307_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-halfhill198307_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-halfhill198307_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFHalfhill,_Tom_R.1983" class="citation news cs1">Halfhill, Tom R. (July 1983). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/1983-07-computegazette/Compute_Gazette_Issue_01_1983_Jul#page/n59/mode/2up">"Exatron Stringy Floppy for VIC-20 and 64"</a>. <i>Compute!'s Gazette</i>. pp. <span class="nowrap">58–</span>62<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">6 February</span> 2016</span>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-mace19830530saddle-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-mace19830530saddle_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFMace1983" class="citation magazine cs1">Mace, Scott (1983-05-30). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=4S8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26">"Texas Instruments in the Saddle"</a>. <i>InfoWorld</i>. pp. <span class="nowrap">26–</span>28<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2024-12-29</span></span>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Reid_1999-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Reid_1999_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFReid1999" class="citation web cs1">Reid, Gordon (March 1999). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160203065241/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar99/articles/retroprophet.htm">"Sequential Circuits – Prophet Synthesizers 5 & 10 (Retro)"</a>. <i><a href="Sound_on_Sound" title="Sound on Sound">Sound on Sound</a></i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar99/articles/retroprophet.htm">the original</a> on 3 February 2016<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">January 23,</span> 2015</span>.</cite></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFReed" class="citation web cs1">Reed, Matthew. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.trs-80.org/exatron-stringy-floppy/">"The Exatron Stringy Floppy"</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">23 March</span> 2014</span>.</cite></span>
</li>
</ol></div></div>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.digibarn.com/collections/devices/stringy-floppy/">Exatron Stringy Floppy as described by Bill Fletcher</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/system-80/software_esf_archive-imaging.htm">Getting Files off Stringy Floppy Wafers for use in Emulators</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.trs-80.org/exatron-stringy-floppy/">Advertisements</a></li>
<li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.exatron.com/">Exatron Official Website</a></li></ul>
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</style><div id="Magnetic-tape_data_storage_formats51" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="Magnetic-tape_data_storage" title="Magnetic-tape data storage">Magnetic-tape data storage</a> formats</div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Linear</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Wide (19–25.4 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="IBM_7340" title="IBM 7340">IBM 7340</a> (1961)</li>
<li><a href="LINC#LINCTape" title="LINC">LINCtape</a> (1962)</li>
<li><a href="DECtape" title="DECtape">DECtape</a> (1963)</li>
<li><a href="Magnetic_tape_data_storage" class="mw-redirect" title="Magnetic tape data storage">CDC 626</a> (1966)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Half inch (12.7 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="UNISERVO" class="mw-redirect" title="UNISERVO">UNISERVO</a> (1951)</li>
<li><a href="IBM_7-track" title="IBM 7-track">IBM 7-track</a> (1952)</li>
<li><a href="TX-2_Tape_System" title="TX-2 Tape System">TX-2 Tape System</a> (1958)</li>
<li><a href="9-track_tape" title="9-track tape">9-track</a> (1964)</li>
<li><a href="IBM_3480_Family" class="mw-redirect" title="IBM 3480 Family">IBM 3480</a> (1984)</li>
<li><a href="Digital_Linear_Tape" title="Digital Linear Tape">DLT</a> (1984)</li>
<li><a href="IBM_3590" title="IBM 3590">IBM 3590</a> (1995)</li>
<li><a href="StorageTek_tape_formats" title="StorageTek tape formats">T9840</a> (1998)</li>
<li><a href="StorageTek_tape_formats" title="StorageTek tape formats">T9940</a> (2000)</li>
<li><a href="Linear_Tape-Open" title="Linear Tape-Open">LTO Ultrium</a> (2000)</li>
<li><a href="IBM_3592" title="IBM 3592">IBM 3592</a> (2003)</li>
<li><a href="StorageTek_tape_formats" title="StorageTek tape formats">T10000</a> (2006)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Eight millimeter (8 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Travan" title="Travan">Travan</a> (1995)</li>
<li><a href="IBM_Magstar_MP_3570" title="IBM Magstar MP 3570">IBM 3570 MP</a> (1997)</li>
<li><a href="Advanced_Digital_Recording" title="Advanced Digital Recording">ADR</a> (1999)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Quarter inch (6.35 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Quarter-inch_cartridge" title="Quarter-inch cartridge">QIC</a> (1972)</li>
<li><a href="Scalable_Linear_Recording" title="Scalable Linear Recording">SLR</a> (1986)</li>
<li><a href="Ditto_(drive)" title="Ditto (drive)">Ditto</a> (1992)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">"Eighth" (0.15) inch (3.81 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="D/CAS" title="D/CAS">D/CAS</a> (1971)</li>
<li><a href="Kansas_City_standard" title="Kansas City standard">KC standard, Compact Cassette</a> (1975)</li>
<li><a href="DC100" title="DC100">DC100</a> (1976)</li>
<li><a href="Tarbell_Cassette_Interface" title="Tarbell Cassette Interface">Tarbell Cassette Interface</a> (1976)</li>
<li><a href="Commodore_Datasette" title="Commodore Datasette">Commodore Datasette</a> (1977)</li>
<li><a href="DECtape#DECtape_II" title="DECtape">DECtape II</a> (1979)</li>
<li><a href="IBM_cassette_tape" title="IBM cassette tape">IBM PC Cassette</a> (1981)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Stringy (1.58–1.9 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li> (1979)</li>
<li><a href="ZX_Microdrive" title="ZX Microdrive">ZX Microdrive</a> (1983)</li>
<li><a href="QL_Microdrive" class="mw-redirect" title="QL Microdrive">QL Microdrive</a> (1984)</li>
<li><a href="Rotronics_Wafadrive" title="Rotronics Wafadrive">Rotronics Wafadrive</a> (1984)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Helical</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Three quarter inch (19 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li>Sony <a href="Digital_Instrumentation_Recorder" title="Digital Instrumentation Recorder">DIR</a> (19xx)</li>
<li>Ampex <a href="Data_Storage_Technology" title="Data Storage Technology">DST</a> (1992)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Half inch (12.7 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="ArVid" title="ArVid">ArVid</a> (1992)</li>
<li><a href="StorageTek_tape_formats" title="StorageTek tape formats">Redwood SD-3</a> (1995)</li>
<li><a href="Digital_Tape_Format" title="Digital Tape Format">DTF</a> (19xx)</li>
<li><a href="Advanced_Intelligent_Tape" title="Advanced Intelligent Tape">SAIT</a> (2003)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Eight millimeter (8 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Data8" title="Data8">Data8</a> (1987)</li>
<li><a href="Data8#Mammoth" title="Data8">Mammoth</a> (1994)</li>
<li><a href="Advanced_Intelligent_Tape" title="Advanced Intelligent Tape">AIT</a> (1996)</li>
<li><a href="VXA" title="VXA">VXA</a> (1999)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Four millimeter (3.81 mm)</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="Digital_Data_Storage" title="Digital Data Storage">DDS/DAT</a> (1989)</li></ul>
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