masscomp@soma.UUCP (Stan Barber, Moderator) (08/09/86)
We wanted to buy a Cipher GCR drive to use with our 5700. So we ordered
a Xylogics 472 and Cipher GCR drive from USData. We had checked with
Masscomp to see if the 472 was "special" in any way (Masscomp has
modified off-the-shelf boards in the past to better integrate them into
the Masscomp. Masscomp told us that it was "off-the-shelf" direct from
Xylogics. As a result, we did not specify anything beyond the "standard"
configuration when placing the order. This turned out to be a mistake.
We had had a Cipher 1600/3200 drive with a Tapemaster controller on our
5500 (nee 500) and had very good performance out of it (we have had to
replace the power switch on the drive, but nothing else but routine
cleaning). So we had had no experience with the 472 before this.
We tried everything. We plugged the GCR drive into the Tapemaster and
it worked. We pluged the 1600/3200 into the 472 and it failed. We tried
the 472 in the 5500 with no success. We even took the 472 over to a Sun
and tried it. In a Sun-2, the 472 we were shipped worked. At this point,
I began to suspect that the 472 that Masscomp uses was not quite "off-the-
shelf".
It turns out that the board is the same, but ALL the PROMS and PALS are
different for boards used by Masscomp. Xylogics sells the boards already
configured in this manner, so in one sense, they are "off-the-shelf".
But, they are NOT standard.
If you order one, here is the data on how the board should be configured.
The PROM ID at board location E10 should be 077A-740E.
The PAL at board location A4 should end with the digits 3A.
The PAL at board location B5 should end with the digits 958B.
The PAL at board location D5 should end with the digits 960A.
The PAL at board location F5 should end with the digits 959C.
Configuration information for the board is as follows:
Jumper JL should be OUT (board location K5).
Jumper JF should be IN (board location A8).
Jumper JM should be IN (board location L12).
Jumper JG should be left as set by the factory (board location E5).
Jumper JJ should be left as set by the factory (board location G10).
Jumper JN should be OUT (board location L3).
Jumper JH should be jumpered in position 1 only (board location K3).
Jumper JK should be jumpered in position 3 only (board location L4).
The address selection jumpers (JA-JD, board location K4 and K5) should
be set as follows:
0 = JUMPER IN 1 = JUMPER OUT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
JB 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 JD
JA 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 JC
USData bent over backward to make us satisfied customers. It took alot
longer than we wanted it to, but at least you can benefit from our
experience.
Stan Barber, Cellular Neurophysiology Laboratory
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
sob@soma.UUCP