root@conexch.UUCP (Larry Dighera) (01/07/89)
In article <368@merk.UUCP> brennan@merk.UUCP (Rich Brennan) writes: > >I am going to get some more disk storage, but instead of buying an >additional disk of the same type I currently have, I'd like to get an >ESDI disk. I'm running 386 Xenix 2.2.1, and it would be nice to not >have to upgrade to their ESDI version, which (according to their docs) >only handles 1024 cylinders. > >I've been told that the WD1007 controller supports an ESDI controller >interface, but looks like the standard ST506 controllers to Xenix. Is this >true? And if so, anyone have leads on a good place to buy them? You're right about the WD1007's translation capability; It can make an ESDI drive look like a 17-sectored ST506. The WD1007A-WAH and WD1007A-WA2 are 16-bit ESDI Hard and Hard/Floppy controllers respectively. They support 1:1 interleave and come with BIOS extension ROM. The WD1007A-WAH has a retail price of $320 and the WD1007A-WA2 retails for $350. I can get them for $249 and $279. If you want one, you can give me a call at (714) 842-2862 (voice), and we can work out the arrangements. Is the ESDI drive you plan on purchasing hard or soft sectored? Larry Dighera -- USPS: The Consultants' Exchange, PO Box 12100, Santa Ana, CA 92712 TELE: (714) 842-6348: BBS (N81); (714) 842-5851: Xenix guest account (E71) UUCP: conexch Any ACU 2400 17148425851 ogin:-""-ogin:-""-ogin: nuucp UUCP: ...!uunet!turnkey!conexch!root || ...!trwrb!ucla-an!conexch!root
roe@unibase.UUCP (Roe Peterson) (01/12/89)
From article <18383@conexch.UUCP>, by root@conexch.UUCP (Larry Dighera): > In article <368@merk.UUCP> brennan@merk.UUCP (Rich Brennan) writes: >> >>I am going to get some more disk storage, but instead of buying an >>additional disk of the same type I currently have, I'd like to get an >>ESDI disk. I'm running 386 Xenix 2.2.1, and it would be nice to not >>have to upgrade to their ESDI version, which (according to their docs) >>only handles 1024 cylinders. [deleted] > You're right about the WD1007's translation capability; It can make an > ESDI drive look like a 17-sectored ST506. > > The WD1007A-WAH and WD1007A-WA2 are 16-bit ESDI Hard and Hard/Floppy > controllers respectively. They support 1:1 interleave and come with > BIOS extension ROM. The WD1007A-WAH has a retail price of $320 and the > WD1007A-WA2 retails for $350. I can get them for $249 and $279. > > If you want one, you can give me a call... MARKETING!!! ON USENET!!! Naughty, Naughty. Anyhow, we are currently running an Adaptec ESDI controller on our 386 (used to be in a 286 - no problem moving up). It completely fools the computer - looks just like an ST506 controller. When the system boots, the adaptec bios messes with something (probably the cmos ram) and xenix has no problem using the disk. Incidentally, we are running a Maxtor XT380-E (1224 cylinders). (It supports all features mentioned above, and formats normal ESDI drives for 36 sectors - extra storage). The transfer rate is something to behold. No changes, no mods, no nothing to xenix (or (ugg) dos). The board includes a floppy controller, BTW. Unit is model ADB2322 from: Adaptec, Inc. 580 Cottonwood Drive Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 432-8600 -- Roe Peterson uunet!attcan!utgpu!tmsoft!mcl!unibase!roe
tbetz@spies.UUCP (Tom Betz) (01/22/89)
|From article <18383@conexch.UUCP>, by root@conexch.UUCP (Larry Dighera): |> In article <368@merk.UUCP> brennan@merk.UUCP (Rich Brennan) writes: |>> |>>I am going to get some more disk storage, but instead of buying an |>>additional disk of the same type I currently have, I'd like to get an |>>ESDI disk. I'm running 386 Xenix 2.2.1, and it would be nice to not |>>have to upgrade to their ESDI version, which (according to their docs) |>>only handles 1024 cylinders. |[deleted] |> You're right about the WD1007's translation capability; It can make an |> ESDI drive look like a 17-sectored ST506. |> |> The WD1007A-WAH and WD1007A-WA2 are 16-bit ESDI Hard and Hard/Floppy |> controllers respectively. They support 1:1 interleave and come with |> BIOS extension ROM. The WD1007A-WAH has a retail price of $320 and the |> WD1007A-WA2 retails for $350. I can get them for $249 and $279. |> I ran into one problem with my new Wyse 3216-150T that folks should look out for. It comes equipped with the WD 1007 driving a CDC 150 Mb (actually 144 Mb, but why split hairs?) HD and a Wangtech 60 Mb tape drive. We tried to initialize the HD on three different machines using Wyse's SETUP software supplied with the system (version 1.08, for them as cares) and each time we tried, the system would hang at a different place in the process. Now, one bad HD I can accept, two I can almost accept, but >three< in a row? Uh-uh. After three weeks' frustration and a lot of digging by myself and the vendor's technician, we finally determined that Wyse had installed in quite a few of their machines 1007's which were incompatible with the Wangtech card, and all three of the machines I had received had that old version of the card in them! According to the Wyse tech who told us this, WD had changed the card at Wyse's request, but Wyse shipped quite a bunch of 3216s with the incompatible card. We were able to initialize the HD by removing the Wangtech card. The Wyse tech said that once the drive was initialized,one may reinstall the tape drive controller card, and there should be no further problems, and as of yet there have been none (though I'm having problems installing the WY-995 drivers and getting the system to boot the new kernel, I'm not yet ready to blame that on the WD 1007...) but I'm planning to update the 1007 just as soon as our vendor gets in a replacement, and I don't plan to do any critical work (in fact I may even re-initialize the HD and reinstall Xenix) on this machine until the 1007 is replaced. Just a word of warning for others. According to the Wyse rep, 1007's likely to have this problem can be identified by the fact that the main controller chip (sorry, I don't have the number handy) is socketed instead of being soldered to the board. A call to WD may be in order if you are suspicious. I understand they are very helpful folks there.