mwandel@tiger.waterloo.edu (Markus Wandel) (04/12/90)
I'm looking for helpful hints about a Priam 638 hard disk. It's a 5.25", 300+ megabyte, 20 millisecond ESDI disk. I got it for free. Only there was a catch -- it isn't quite an ESDI disk any more. It was used in a custom application, to support which the Priam formatting was erased off the disk and replaced with other data. I have no ESDI controller, access to nobody who has one, and little more to go on than a general opinion that a Priam disk with its original formatting information erased off it is basically a boat anchor. Needless to say, I'd rather like to use this thing on my computer, and it looks basically OK (spins up without any sparks coming out, etc). The manual claims that it has a 10 megabit per second, serial, hard sectored ESDI interface, but that's about all. There's lots of other information in there, just none of it is any use. Their description of ESDI is just disorganized enough to be useless. So what I'm looking for is a minor miracle, such as a lead to a hard disk repair place which can check out the thing and possibly record the formatting information back on it for a resonable charge. Or a program which can run with a given ESDI controller on a PC which can reformat one. Or information to the effect that the disk will probably work as is. Or whatever. Queries on local BBS's and such have turned up nothing, not even a single owner of a machine expensive enough to have one of those disks in it, never mind a techno-literate one. Barring any other leads, where does one find the documentation for the ESDI interface? Surely it's some sort of standard, but the Priam manual doesn't give any references. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Markus Wandel mwandel@tiger.waterloo.edu (519) 884-9547