schuur@dutesta.UUCP (Lisp Groep Delft) (11/28/88)
I am rather stuck with a problem, I hope someone in Netland can shine
some light on it.
Recently I bought a 30 Meg harddisk (Seagate ST-238R) with controller
(Seagate ST-11R), both using RLL encoding.
My system (XT-clone) already contained a 20 Meg harddisk and a
controller with MFM encoding.
The harddisk is a Microscience HH-725B, the controller is a National
Computer Limited (NCL) NDC5127-50.
Because the first disk is an RLL disk and the other an MFM, I need to have
both controllers in my system.
The RLL controller is configured to have its BIOS at D8000,
the MFM controller has its BIOS at C8000.
Both disks work fine if they are the only disk in the system.
When starting up the system with both controllers plugged in,
the controller at C8000 first reports that it has one disk attached, then the
second controller also reports one disk (it also says that the disk is a
ST-238R).
With a bootable floppy in drive A (because booting from one of the hard disks
does not work), the system starts booting from the floppy drive.
Next the led on the MFM drive blinks (reading the partition table ???) and
a moment later the led on the RLL drive goes on.
This led stays on and nothing happens anymore until I hit Ctrl-Alt-Del.
I have tried using a disk controller of a friend (Western Digital WD-1002
-- the controller, not the friend :-) instead of the NCL controller and
both disks worked fine!!!
So it seems that the NCL controller causes the problem.
Now here are the questions:
- Does anyone out there know why these controllers
don't work together?
Is it possible to make them do so?
- I don't have any documentation on the Microscience disk
nor the NCL controller.
Is there anyone who has?
- Is it possible to use the Microscience disk (which has a ST-506/ST-412
interface) on the RLL controller?
The ST-238R disk also has a ST-412 interface.
Thanks in advance,
Paul.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schuurmans |
Delft University of Technology |
Faculty of Electrical Engineering | UUCP: ..!dutesta!schuur
Delft |
The Netherlands |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schuurmans |
Delft University of Technology |
Faculty of Electrical Engineering | UUCP: ..!dutesta!schuur
Delft |
The Netherlands |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------bank@csclea.ncsu.edu (Lord Ralter) (11/30/88)
In <1226@dutesta.UUCP>, Paul Schuurmans write of difficulty in
XT clone to accept and properly work with a pair of
seperare hard drives (one MFM, one RLL) and controllers.
Paul, the problem is with the NCL controller. It is evidently
incapable of being used as a secondary controller in the system
and is therefore conflicting with the other controller hooked
up to the Seagate.
You mentioned a Western Digital 1002 what worked. I assume
you refer to the WD1002A-WX1. This controller is an MFM one
capable of performing as either the primary or secondary controller
in a system (and was, consequently, one of their best-selling
controllers prior to the XT-GEN).
My solution-suggestion: get rid of the NCL and get yourself
a WX1 or something similiar. Not all (read: very few) hard drive
controllers can be used as a secondary, so make sure of what you
buy.
NO! No! No! You CANNOT use that Microscience on the RLL
controller!!!!!!! Sure, you MIGHT get it to work initially,
but drive failure is almost guaranteed when you hook a non-RLL
rated drive to an RLL controller!
RLL and MFM are VERY different and never the twain shall meet!
Same goes for ARRL and RLL.
If you have any further questions or need any more help,
please feel free to E-Mail me. Or, if you like calling the U.S.,
my work phone (at d & b Software) is (919) 755-0237. (No, I
really don't expect you to call, but I thought I'd throw that
in :-)
Dave
bank@csclea.UUCP
"The computer is your friend. Say 'Hi' to your friend!"
getting his pjh@mccc.UUCP (Pete Holsberg) (12/01/88)
I think you have two choices. (1) Reformat the Microscience RLL and
use it as the second drive on the RLL controller. Test it for a month
to see if it can stand up to RLL. (2) Reformat the ST-238 MFM as use
it as the second drive on the MFM controller.
Pete
--
Pete Holsberg UUCP: {...!rutgers!}princeton!mccc!pjh
Mercer College CompuServe: 70240,334
1200 Old Trenton Road GEnie: PJHOLSBERG
Trenton, NJ 08690 Voice: 1-609-586-4800gmat@wuibc.UUCP (Gregory Martin Amaya Tormo) (12/02/88)
>My system (XT-clone) already contained a 20 Meg harddisk and a >controller with MFM encoding. >The harddisk is a Microscience HH-725B, the controller is a National >Computer Limited (NCL) NDC5127-50. >Because the first disk is an RLL disk and the other an MFM, I need to have >both controllers in my system. >The RLL controller is configured to have its BIOS at D8000, >the MFM controller has its BIOS at C8000. > >Now here are the questions: > > - Does anyone out there know why these controllers > don't work together? I will guess that the IO address do conflict, even if the BIOSs load at different positions. > Is it possible to make them do so? You will need to find out how to change the IO addresses on one or the other cards without conflicting with any other IO devices > - I don't have any documentation on the Microscience disk > nor the NCL controller. You will need to get it. > Is there anyone who has? You should be able to call the respective companies' tech support lines. They should give out the information for free, since there is no labor or parts involved. > - Is it possible to use the Microscience disk (which has a ST-506/ST-412 > interface) on the RLL controller? > The ST-238R disk also has a ST-412 interface. This I do not know, but I doubt it. The 30MB hard disk is actually the same physical disk as the 20MB. But the encoding method RLL vs MFM allows more data to be stored on RLL classified hard disks. > Thanks in advance, > Paul. Hope it helps. David Deitch, Computer Connection dwd0238@wucec3.wustl.bitnet Fido 1:100/22 ( Please mail to me, do not reply )