rsexton@uceng.UC.EDU (robert sexton) (01/20/89)
I have a Digital rd52-a 30 meg drive which was pulled from a microvax II and I'm wondering if it is usable with a st-506 mfm controller in an AT the drive was made by quantum, and is a model q540. It seems to have the original quantum contoller board attached, and it has the proper connectors but I dont know if it has the proper interface or what its head/platter/track configuration is. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has the necessary information. Thanks -- Robert Sexton, University of Cincinnati rsexton@uceng.uc.edu tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uccba!uceng!rsexton Box Full O' Transputers... The Breakfast with MIPS I do not speak for UC, They don't speak for me.
pymild@rruxp.UUCP (T L Davidson) (01/25/89)
The adapter card SHOULD work in your machine. If it doesn't, the Western Digital hard drive card will work fine (check Computer Shopper for the best prices). The next item you might need is a program called "Speedstor (TM)" sold by Storage Dimensions. Speedstor is a "universal" hard drive low-level initialization and partitioning package consisting of two main programs: "HARDPREP" and "PARTED". HARDPREP provides a menu that lists 21 drive manufacturers, and a menu item for entering manual parameters. Once the manufacturer is selected, a new menu appears listing all the drives supported by that particular manufacturer. This is how I was able to obtain the information for the Q540 you needed. PARTED is used after the low-level initialization/format to partition the drive. Unfortunately, I do not know the phone/address for Storage Dimensions (800 information does not list them), but I do know that the program cost $140 a year ago. If you cannot obtain SpeedStor, but can get a Western Digital controller, you can force the low-level init by using DOS debug: When debug presents you with the "-" prompt, enter: g=c800:5 This will bring up the Western Digital low-level init firmware, which will proceed to ask you for the above information (cylinders, heads, sectors, precomp, landing zone, interleave, etc.) Once this has completed (it will take a while!), use the DOS FDISK to partition the drive, followed by the standard DOS "format c: /s" and "format d:". A final word of advice: Get Norton Advanced Utilities 4.5! The "debug" method of forcing low-level init/format is documented in the Norton books, and the utilities (especially NDD) are extremely useful (on pure DOS systems, that is...). Hope this has been helpful! -- <========* The views expressed are mine alone, and not my employer's *=========> For it is by grace that you are saved, by faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. EPH. 2: 8,9 <===* @pymild@rruxp.cc.bellcore.com *===* bcr!rruxp!pymild (Terry Davidson) *==>