[comp.sys.ibm.pc.rt] Large ESDI disk help

scott@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Scott Douglas) (12/01/89)

We're running AOS 4.3 on an RT-6151 with an 'Extended ESDI' disk
controller.  When trying to format a Fujitsu 2263 disk using the
SAUTIL format utility we get failures (I/O error, Can't init drive).
The disk vendor suggested that the disk requires a 16Mb controller,
and that our controller is a 12Mb transver variety.  IBM controller
documentation is worthless; doesn't mention transfer rates.  We
assumed 'Extended ESDI' meant, among other things, the higher
transfer rate.  Any experiences out there with similar configurations?
The process of installing new disks is not new to us.  We previously
upgraded to a 110MB disk on this system with success.

Scott Douglas
College of Engineering
Colorado State University
scott@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu

dyer@spdcc.COM (Steve Dyer) (12/01/89)

In article <3325@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU> scott@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Scott Douglas) writes:
>We're running AOS 4.3 on an RT-6151 with an 'Extended ESDI' disk
>controller.  When trying to format a Fujitsu 2263 disk using the
>SAUTIL format utility we get failures (I/O error, Can't init drive).
>The disk vendor suggested that the disk requires a 16Mb controller,
>and that our controller is a 12Mb transver variety.

I tried TWO different Maxtor 4380 ESDI drives and got the same error.
Both are sitting in the corner of my office unused...

-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka {ima,harvard,rayssd,linus,m2c}!spdcc!dyer
dyer@arktouros.mit.edu, dyer@hstbme.mit.edu

clp@beartrk.beartrack.com (Charlie Pilzer) (12/01/89)

I've tried to find alternate sources for ESDI disks to connect to
my RT under AIX 2.2.  So far I've had no luck.  Apparently, it is
not possible to use a non-IBM disk connected to an extended ESDI
controller under AIX or AOX.  Does anyone know what IBM does to their
disks to make them different? Or why non-IBM disks will not work?

Charlie Pilzer
clp@beartrk.beartrack.com

mlewis@dolphin.tcspa.ibm.com (Mark S. Lewis) (12/14/89)

> >We're running AOS 4.3 on an RT-6151 with an 'Extended ESDI' disk
> >controller.  When trying to format a Fujitsu 2263 disk using the
> >SAUTIL format utility we get failures (I/O error, Can't init drive).
> >The disk vendor suggested that the disk requires a 16Mb controller,
> >and that our controller is a 12Mb transver variety.
> 
> I tried TWO different Maxtor 4380 ESDI drives and got the same error.
> Both are sitting in the corner of my office unused...
> 

A Maxtor drive that works is model XT-4380E (310 Meg).  The SAUTIL recognizes
it as a 310e type drive.  If you cannot get any of your drives to work with
the E-ESDI, perhaps you should regress to the standard ESDI controller.  It's
better than having such fine drives going unused.

=====-----     Mark S. Lewis, IBM AWD Palo Alto    -----======
inet: mlewis%ibmsupt@uunet.uu.net		(415) 855-4486
uucp: uunet!ibmsupt!mlewis              IBM Tie Line: 465-4486

dyer@arktouros.MIT.EDU (Steve Dyer) (12/16/89)

In article <3266@ibmpa.UUCP> mlewis@dolphin.tcspa.ibm.com (Mark S. Lewis) writes:
>> I tried TWO different Maxtor 4380 ESDI drives and got the same error.
>> Both are sitting in the corner of my office unused...
>
>A Maxtor drive that works is model XT-4380E (310 Meg).  The SAUTIL recognizes
>it as a 310e type drive.  If you cannot get any of your drives to work with
>the E-ESDI, perhaps you should regress to the standard ESDI controller.  It's
>better than having such fine drives going unused.

But I *have* an XT-4380E.  Two of them.  I set the switches to the same
as recommended for the 310e drive, which after all, is an XT-4380E, no?
I got consistent results from SAUTIL: "can't init drive" or something like
that--it's been about 6 months.  I've tried the disks in positions 0, 1 and
2 of the controller.  No luck.  What has your experience been with them?
I'm very eager to hear.

I don't have an ESDI (non-EESDI) controller, however.  The rationale
of fleshing out my disks with additional ESDI disks was that I could
get rid of my ST506 controller, which right now is running two non-IBM
disks along with the IBM 110mb ESDI disk as the root/boot on the EESDI
controller.


---
Steve Dyer
dyer@ursa-major.spdcc.com aka ...!{harvard,linus,ima,m2c,rayssd}!spdcc!dyer
dyer@arktouros.mit.edu, dyer@hstbme.mit.edu