toms@oakhill.UUCP (04/01/87)
I am still looking for information reguarding RLL controllers.
Can someone please send me the address or phone # of Adaptec (sp?).
Also I would like to hear of any real world experiences of RLL controllers
being used on drives that are not RLL certified. I am interested in
getting a RLL for my CMI-3426 20MB drive. Thanks in advance.
--
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Motorola Semiconductors Tom Spohrer
Austin, Texas {seismo,gatech,ihnp4}!ut-sally!oakhill!tomskahn@xanth.UUCP (Gary I Kahn) (11/06/87)
Does anyone have any comments about the effects of Adaptec (sp?) RLL controllers on drive life, drive reliability, or data file safety? I'm considering buying a Seagate drive/controller package from PC Connection. They offer both a 20 Meg and a 30 Meg (RLL) package, and I'm having trouble deciding. The major factor would be a loss of reliability, or some other degradation of the system. Thanks in advance.
fmayhar@killer.UUCP (Frank Mayhar) (11/07/87)
In article <3230@xanth.UUCP> kahn@xanth.UUCP (Gary I Kahn) writes: >Does anyone have any comments about the effects of Adaptec (sp?) RLL >controllers on drive life, drive reliability, or data file safety? >I'm considering buying a Seagate drive/controller package from PC Connection. >They offer both a 20 Meg and a 30 Meg (RLL) package, and I'm having trouble >deciding. The major factor would be a loss of reliability, or some other >degradation of the system. Thanks in advance. Back last July I bought an Adaptec 2070A RLL controller with a Seagate ST238 drive, from National Dataproducts in Glendale. Within two weeks I was bitten by the Seagate stepper problem (the drive can't find track 0). I took the drive back, and they promptly replaced it. A month later the controller started giving read errors when it got warm. I could only use it for about fifteen minutes at a time. According to the technician at National Dataproducts, the controller I had had the temperature problem fixed (it was a problem on the earlier boards), but he replaced it anyway. Since then I haven't had any problems (knock on wood), but I also don't have any of the hardware I started with in July. Since the whole thing only cost me about $350, and the people I bought it from stand behind their products, I don't have any real complaints, but if you want a really reliable hard disk system, DON'T buy Adaptec/Seagate. Get something somewhat more expensive and a whole lot more reliable. On the other hand, if you're like me and can't spend very much money, it's probably worth the price. Incidentally, the same combination that I got is still on sale at National Dataproducts for about $50 less than I gave for it. Hope this helps you make your decision. -- Frank Mayhar UUCP: ..!{ihnp4,dj3b1}!killer!fmayhar ARPA: Frank-Mayhar%ladc@BCO-MULTICS.ARPA USmail: 680 Grand Ave #201 Long Beach, CA 90814 DeathStarNet: (213) 438-7899
paul@cgh.UUCP (0000-Paul Homchick) (11/08/87)
In article <3230@xanth.UUCP> kahn@xanth.UUCP (Gary I Kahn) writes: >Does anyone have any comments about the effects of Adaptec (sp?) RLL >controllers on drive life, drive reliability, or data file safety? I keep hearing vague rumors about people having RLL problems, but I have never had any trouble, and neither has anyone I know. I have two Adaptec RLL controllers, one with a Miniscribe 3425, and the other with a Seagate ST-225. Both subsystems are in AT&T PC 6300s. The first has been running for almost two years, and the second for a year and a half. I haven't had any problems of any kind with either one. An RLL controller gives you 50% more room and an increased data transfer rate, and it does it for a song. I would have no qualms about purchasing another similar rig. Make certain that the drive is RLL certified, tho. (Comment on above: However, I have two friends with Adaptec RLL controllers with non-certified ST-225 drives. Neither of them has had any trouble either!) -- Paul Homchick {allegra | ihnp4 | rutgers} !cbmvax!cgh!paul Chimitt Gilman Homchick, Inc.; One Radnor Station, Suite 300; Radnor, PA 19087
john@wa3wbu.UUCP (John Gayman) (11/09/87)
In article <3230@xanth.UUCP>, kahn@xanth.UUCP (Gary I Kahn) writes: > Does anyone have any comments about the effects of Adaptec (sp?) RLL > controllers on drive life, drive reliability, or data file safety? I have read quite a few articles lately on people having trouble with the adaptec RLL controller. Granted, there were definately problems when used with a drive that was not qualified for RLL but I've also heard of problems even when using the ST-238. I know both Adaptec and Western Digital have both released *new* versions of their controllers and havn't heard anything about them yet. One thing is fact, the plated-media drives such as the ST-238 are much more durable than the oxide-coating of the ST-225. Most of the RLL-related problems I have heard were lost data after using the drives for a long period of time. I would recommend getting the ST-238 and using it with a standard controller giving you 20MB of plated media. John -- John Gayman, WA3WBU | UUCP: uunet!wa3wbu!john 1869 Valley Rd. | Packet: WA3WBU @ AK3P Marysville, PA 17053 | Voice: (717) 9sh,sh,s
dick@plx.UUCP (Dick Flanagan) (11/10/87)
Summary: Expires: Sender: Followup-To: My experience with Adaptec RLL controllers and Seagate ST-2xx drives may be of interest. I bought an Adaptec 2070A controller to drive my two ST-225 drives. One drive never gave me any problems at all (except for some quickly found/locked out bad sectors), but the other drive couldn't hold data in a bucket for more than a couple of days before it started getting Bad Data errors. I won't bore you with all the trials that led up to the ultimate solution, but both drives have performed flawlessly for over six months now. The key to the problem was that when the errors first started to occur, it was after the system had been on for a while. Then, they started to occur when the system was first powered up, before gradually going away after a while. I was definitely seeing a thermal problem in the one drive (I eliminated the controller as the source of the thermal problem because the other drive was just humming along perfectly). My ultimate solution was to leave the machine turned on for a couple of days to ensure everything was uniformly heat soaked, perform a low-level format of the offending drive (I was getting real good at that), and then never turn the machine off again! As a matter of fact, everything seems to work better now that I'm no longer powering the machine off and on. If nothing else works, this might be a last-resort solution to try. -- Dick Flanagan, W6OLD I'll take a drug test when UUCP: ...!ucbvax!sun!plx!dick Reagan takes an IQ test. GEnie: FLANAGAN
ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) (11/13/87)
> In article <3230@xanth.UUCP> kahn@xanth.UUCP (Gary I Kahn) writes: > >Does anyone have any comments about the effects of Adaptec (sp?) RLL > >controllers on drive life, drive reliability, or data file safety? > >I'm considering buying a Seagate drive/controller package from PC Connection. > >They offer both a 20 Meg and a 30 Meg (RLL) package, and I'm having trouble > >deciding. The major factor would be a loss of reliability, or some other > >degradation of the system. Thanks in advance. Last JUNE, I purchased a home-built from one of our technicians. We were lucky enough that Western Digitial had just released their version of the RLL controller. Knock on wood, after 5 1/2 months, no trouble! NONE!! I have been following this discussion about Adaptec and what ever they did wrong, WD did right!! From personal experience, I HIGHLY recommend the combination of the Seagate ST-238 with the Western Digital RLL controller. Flames to /dev/null . . . Phil Ritzenthaler |USnail: University Computer Services Computer Graphics Research Consultant | 241 Math-Science Bldg. UUCP :.!cbosgd!osu-cis!bgsuvax!ritzenth | Bowling Green State University CSNET: ritzenth@bgsu.edu | Bowling Green, OH 43403-0125 ARPA : ritzenth%bgsu.edu@relay.cs.net | Phone: (419) 372-2102
mikef@Portia.Stanford.EDU (Michael Fallavollita) (02/13/89)
Has anyone had any trouble with RLL controllers on 386 machines? I have tried both the Adaptec 2372B and an OMTI RLL controller and have had very weird errors. The adaptec worked for about a week before I got sector not found errors and finally boot errors. When I was installing the OMTI I got controller errors from SpeedStor when doing a media analysis on cylinders 612-614. Also, I was unable to get SpeedStor to set the bad track table correctly. It said it was doing it but when I format, those tracks are not locked out. Does anyone have a recommendation between the OMTI and the ADAPTE controllers. The OMTI I have now belongs to a friend and I'm definately going to return the Adaptec and get either a new one or a different controller. Any opinions on which controller would be appreciated. Thanks, mikef@portia.stanford.edu
bill@bilver.UUCP (bill vermillion) (02/15/89)
In article <323@Portia.Stanford.EDU> mikef@portia.UUCP (Michael Fallavollita) writes: > >Has anyone had any trouble with RLL controllers on 386 machines? >I have tried both the Adaptec 2372B and an OMTI RLL controller >and have had very weird errors. The adaptec worked for about a week >before I got sector not found errors and finally boot errors. It sounds to me like you have a DRIVE that is not approved for RLL. Your description sounds like the typical non-RLL drive trying to be used for RLL. And since you didn't mention the drive make & model your problem can't be diagnosed thoroughly. And how about the machine it is in? -- Bill Vermillion - UUCP: {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd}!peora!rtmvax!bilver!bill : bill@bilver.UUCP
allbery@ncoast.ORG (Brandon S. Allbery) (02/19/89)
As quoted from <323@Portia.Stanford.EDU> by mikef@Portia.Stanford.EDU (Michael Fallavollita):
+---------------
| Has anyone had any trouble with RLL controllers on 386 machines?
+---------------
I use an Altos 500 at work; it is a 386 with an Adaptec controller. While
we've had lots of problems with the boxes (let's put it this way: they make
good doorstops), the hard drives aren't one of them. Maybe it's just that
your controller doesn't like your machine? Or you just got a dud controller?
++Brandon
--
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