[comp.sys.ibm.pc] compaq drives and beeps help

scottn@cpqhou.UUCP (Scott Nesbitt) (12/01/89)

The compaq internal drive controller is specially designed by compaq and
conner and only compaq (or conner) drives are compatible.  The compaq
esdi controller confirms to the industry standard for esdi drives, all
esdi drives should work with it.

When a compaq computer boots normally, it beeps twice.  If it boots at
less than the maximum cpu speed, it only beeps once.  You can change the
cpu speed using the mode speed command from dos.  If the machine beeps
more than twice, something is wrong.

Hope this helps.

usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (12/02/89)

In article <489@cpqhou.UUCP> scottn@cpqhou.UUCP (Scott Nesbitt) writes:
>The compaq internal drive controller is specially designed by compaq and
>conner and only compaq (or conner) drives are compatible.  The compaq
>esdi controller confirms to the industry standard for esdi drives, all
>esdi drives should work with it.
>

Is not the esdi drive controler an internal drive controller?  Are you
saying that other esdi drives will work with the compaq esdi controller
as in the compaq 386/20?  

==larry

LARRY SHIELDS                        USENET: ...!frith!lunapark!larry
P.O. Box 6159                        BIX:  lshields
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leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) (12/04/89)

usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) writes:

<In article <489@cpqhou.UUCP> scottn@cpqhou.UUCP (Scott Nesbitt) writes:
<>The compaq internal drive controller is specially designed by compaq and
<>conner and only compaq (or conner) drives are compatible.  The compaq
<>esdi controller confirms to the industry standard for esdi drives, all
<>esdi drives should work with it.

<Is not the esdi drive controler an internal drive controller?  Are you
<saying that other esdi drives will work with the compaq esdi controller
<as in the compaq 386/20?  

Compaq has *two* controller cards. One is used in the Deskpro 286 and in
some Deskpro 386 configurations. The first has a *single* cable going to the
hard drive. The second has the normal *pair* of cables going to the HD. Both
support floppy drives.

If you have an older 386/20 (the one with the *big* case and 4 1/2 height
slots) and you have a 60 meg or smaller drive, then you have the non-standard
controller. Other wise you should have a normal ESDI controller. 

Even if you have the non-standard controller, you can add a standard drive.
The Compaq controller can be set to be the *second* controller in the system,
we do this and add in normal HD only controller cards. The Compaq controller
still controls the floppies and provides COM1 (or 2) and LPT1. 

We've never bothered to try it, but we should be able to hook up a Compaq drive
to the Compaq controller and it would show up as the next drive in sequence.
-- 
Leonard Erickson		...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard
CIS: [70465,203]
"I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools.
Let's start with typewriters." -- Solomon Short

scottn@cpqhou.UUCP (Scott Nesbitt) (12/04/89)

> >The compaq
> >esdi controller confirms to the industry standard for esdi drives, all
> >esdi drives should work with it.
> 
> Is not the esdi drive controler an internal drive controller?  Are you
> saying that other esdi drives will work with the compaq esdi controller
> as in the compaq 386/20?  

No, the fixed disk controller that is built into the system board on a
286e, 386s, 386/20e, and 386/33 is NOT an esdi controller.  If you buy
an compaq external esdi controller (that goes in a slot), it IS compatible  
with standard esdi drives.