doc@holin.ATT.COM (David Mundhenk) (08/08/89)
I posted a question a couple of weeks ago, about whether my CDC 94155-86 drives would support RLL encoding. Most of the replies I got said, "Yes, they will","I've seen it done", etc. So I thought I'd try it. I received my new WD1006-VSR2 controller yesterday, so last night I wanted to try it. The BIOS formatter is at cc00:5 on this controller, and it has a *nice* menu. (Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself here.) My system is a 16MHz. 386SX with AMI BIOS. The drives were previously in a 10MHz. AT on a WD WA2 (?) 16bit MFM controller. When I moved this setup to the 386SX motherboard, it booted right up and both drives were read/writable. One point which may be the crux of the matter: the drives were entered in CMOS as type 12 (8 heads, 800? cylinders) and were then properly reconfigured and formatted using Ontrack Disk Manager as 9 head, 925 cylinder drives for 70MB capacity. When I moved them to the 386SX, type 12 was still the closest match, so I retained that setting. When I run the format routine on the WD1006-VSR2, it allows me to change drive types. I tried it as type 12, and (not surprisingly) I seem to get even less capacity than I had when formatted as MFM. The only 9 head drive type in my BIOS is type 26 - 9 heads, 1024 cylinders, 26 sectors/track. This last part made me believe that this is an RLL drive type (am I getting off track here?). When I use this drive type, it formats OK all the way out to 1024, but fails the 'verify' starting at cylinder 924 (again, not surprising). It seems that I have several routes to follow, and I could have tried these before posting, but I am hoping someone can point me in the correct direction so I don't waste too much time. It seems that I should try one or more of the following: 1. Rerun the WD BIOS formatter and dynamically reconfigure the drives, changing the number of heads to 9, cylinders to 925, and the number of sectors per track from 17 to 25 (is this the right figure for RLL?). 2. Use Disk Manager and modify my old CDC70 configuration file to change the number of sectors per track from 17 to 25 (?). 3. Get an updated BIOS with more drive types (would this really make a difference?). 4. Sell the RLL controller and go back to MFM |-( 5. Sell the controller and drives and get a BIG FAST SCSI! 8^} One point of curiosity - I looked at my father-in-law's ST238 with Norton Utilities. It said it has 17 sectors per track, and 4 heads just like and ST225, but 900+ cylinders for 30MB capacity. I thought RLL made more sectors per track, not more cylinders... Am I totally confused here? Or is Norton? Any help on this would be appreciated. I don't really want to junk the RLL idea - could really use the additional disk space. Dave Mundhenk :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: EMAIL: ...!att!holin!doc | "I can't complain but | /^, VOICE: (201)-580-4943 | sometimes I still do"| / } _, , , __ #include <std.disclaimer> | - Joe Walsh | /_./ (_l |/ <~_ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: EMAIL: ...!att!holin!doc | "I can't complain but | /^, VOICE: (201)-580-4943 | sometimes I still do"| / } _, , , __ #include <std.disclaimer> | - Joe Walsh | /_./ (_l |/ <~_
Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU (08/09/89)
In article <640@holin.ATT.COM>, doc@holin.ATT.COM (David Mundhenk) wrote: }One point of curiosity - I looked at my father-in-law's ST238 }with Norton Utilities. It said it has 17 sectors per track, and }4 heads just like and ST225, but 900+ cylinders for 30MB capacity. }I thought RLL made more sectors per track, not more cylinders... }Am I totally confused here? Or is Norton? The controller's BIOS is lying in an attempt to improve compatibility (there are programs that will barf on other than 17 sectors per track). When told to access the disk, the BIOS will compute the true cylinder/head/sector address from the given values. Note that nondestructive reformatter will probably break when faced with such a situation, since they will be trying to reformat "tracks" that are actually on two physical tracks in most cases.... -- UUCP: {ucbvax,harvard}!cs.cmu.edu!ralf -=-=-=-=- Voice: (412) 268-3053 (school) ARPA: ralf@cs.cmu.edu BIT: ralf%cs.cmu.edu@CMUCCVMA FIDO: Ralf Brown 1:129/46 FAX: available on request Disclaimer? I claimed something? "When I do it, it comes out that way. When Tarjan does it, it comes out that way. So, proof by intimidation." -- Alan Demers (as quoted in "Upton's Familiar Quotations")
karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (08/09/89)
>Item 4864 (0 resps) by doc at holin.ATT.COM on Tue 08 Aug 89 20:16 >[David Mundhenk] Subject: Help needed formatting with RLL > >I posted a question a couple of weeks ago, about whether >my CDC 94155-86 drives would support RLL encoding..... > >I received my new WD1006-VSR2 controller yesterday, so last >night I wanted to try it. The BIOS formatter is at cc00:5 on >this controller, and it has a *nice* menu. (Maybe I'm getting >ahead of myself here.) (tale of woe with drive not formatting to expected capacity deleted). When you format the disk, use type "1" (which is "user defined parameters") and enter the correct disk parameters for the drive. The WD board will take care of the rest. We use (and sell) 'em here; they're nice and FAST. -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"
davidsen@sungod.crd.ge.com (ody) (08/11/89)
In article <[24e032df:4864.1]comp.ibmpc;1@ddsw1.MCS.COM> karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) writes: | The WD board will take care of the rest. | | We use (and sell) 'em here; they're nice and FAST. Be sure you have a good book when doing the surface test. It is very complete but stops after each error and asks if you want to mark the sector bad. Other than that it's fast, cheap, reliable, and after putting one in a problem machine of my own I have gotten WD's for three other happy people. bill davidsen (davidsen@crdos1.crd.GE.COM) {uunet | philabs}!crdgw1!crdos1!davidsen "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me