[comp.unix.xenix] AT&T motherboard floppy controller

DEBULA-R@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu (debula) (11/11/88)

I too have run into the problem of testing out a controller (a WD1003-WA2, I
believe it was).  I found that I couldn't get the combo of motherboard
floppy with WD hard disk.  I DID find that if I disconnected & ignored
the motherboard AT&T floppy cables & instead used the floppy controller on
the card it worked fine.  Ultimately, I got around the problem by ordering
the 1:1 interleave WD1006-WAH (sans floppy controller) MFM controller.
I have an AT&T 6386-16 WGS running *uport.  I've got a Fujitsu 120Mb ESDI
on order & plan to use a WD1007-WAH sans floppy controller which should also
prove interesting.  Incidently, has anyone else out there configuring
hard drives noticed that AT&T seems to have (based on my admittedly limited
experience) a rather unique set of supported hard drives in their ROM (unique
is the kind word for it)?

dragon@lfl.uucp (Give me a quarter or I'll touch you) (11/12/88)

From article <12445464823031@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu>, by DEBULA-R@osu-20.ircc.ohio-state.edu (debula):
[...]
> prove interesting.  Incidently, has anyone else out there configuring
> hard drives noticed that AT&T seems to have (based on my admittedly limited
> experience) a rather unique set of supported hard drives in their ROM (unique
> is the kind word for it)?

Hmm... I don't see what's wrong with the list of hard drives in the AT&T
6386 ROM...  supported are MFM, RLL, and ESDI drives, ranging from
ST251s to Micropolis ESDI drives (135MB to 304MB).  Others include NEC,
CDC, and some of the more 'standard' drives.  Seems the uniqueness is a
boon rather than a burden, especially if you have tried to install an
RLL drive using a WD1003-RAx controller in a system whose BIOS only
'knows' how to speak MFM.  Of course, this is where those neat Adaptec
controllers are a help.

Anyhow, the WD1007 series is known to work well.

--Dean

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sun!pixar!r2d2!dragon