bmiller@PRC.Unisys.COM (Bruce J. Miller) (01/30/89)
I own a Hyundai 286C with a 30 meg Seagate ST-238R and a Western Digital
half board RLL controller (floppy controller is on the system board).
Although the manual clearly gives a low level format procedure for an MFM
disk, it acts as if my RLL unit doesn't even exist.
Even though the unit behaves well and the drive is marked as having zero
defects, it would be reassuring to know what the low level format procedure
was. (Calls to the dealer, 350 miles away, have brought only promises of the
procedure "in the mail today".)
From an article in the 12/88 Computer Shopper, I found out how to access
the controller bios formatter using DEBUG with g=c800:5.
The bios responds with:
Super Bios Formatter Rev 2.4(C) Copyright Western Digital Corp. 1987
Current Drive is C: Select new Drive or RETURN for current.
(I hit RETURN)
Current Interleave is 4, Select new Interleave of RETURN for current.
(What is the current value? The Computer Shopper article suggests 3.)
Are you dynamically configuring the drive - answer Y/N
(I answer Y - this is correct?)
Key in disk characteristics as follows:ccc h rrr ppp ee o
where
ccc = total number of cylinders (1-4 digits)
h = number of heads (1-2 digits)
rrr = starting reduced write cylinder (1-4 digits)
ppp = write precomp cylinder (1-4 digits)
ee = max correctable error burst length (1-2 digits)
range = 5 to 11 bits, default 11 bits
o = CCB option byte, step rate select (1 hex digit)
range = 0 to 7, default = 5
refer to controller and drive specification for step rates.
Can someone supply the correct values for the ST238R and the rest of the
procedure. If it makes any difference, Norton reports that the disk has
512 bytes/sector
17 sectors/side
939 cylinders
4 sides.
I assume that this is the dynamic, rather than physical, configuration.
Also, if anyone has a manual for the controller and/or drive, and they're
not too long, I'd like to get a copy. I could borrow and return, or pay copy
costs or whatever.
Please reply via email, or post if you think this is of general interest.
Bruce Miller (bmiller@burdvax.prc.unisys.com)