simcha@kurz-ai.UUCP (Simcha Lerner) (06/20/89)
In article <4136@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> heasley@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Jim Heasley) writes: > > My AT/clone >came with a WD RLL controller running a Seagate ST-277R. I have a spare >ST-251 which I would like to add to this machine. I've read all the >flames on the various newsgroups that the ST-277 is just a ST-251 which >has been rated to run with an RLL controller and go ahead and do it you >have nothing to lose, etc. Well, I tried, and my software wouldn't even >acknowledge the presence of the drive when I hooked it up (either >SpeedStor or Disk Manager)! The ST-251 checks out OK when I run it with >a genuine MFM controller, so I'm back to trying to find some company >that makes an MFM controller that can be configured to be a second hard >disk controller on the bus. The problem here most likely is that the ST-251 can't be read by the RLL controller while it still has its MFM formatting on it (no surprise here - the disk doesn't even have the correct number of sectors per tack). What you need to do before you can do anything with a MFM disk on a RLL controller is to perform a low level format (not to be confused with DOS's high level format) to lay down acceptable track and sector headers. Once this is done you can use DOS's fdisk and format commands to finish the job. Often a hard disk controller will have a low level formatting routine in its on-board ROM (if any) or on a diagnostics/maintenance disk that came with the system. Good luck. -- Simcha Lerner Kurzweil Applied Intelligence PLEASE NOTE ADDRESS: NO RETURN MAIL VIA bbn PLEASE UUCP address: kurz-ai!simcha@talcott.harvard.edu or: ...{uunet,rutgers,ames}!harvard!talcott!kurz-ai!simcha
heasley@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu (Jim Heasley) (07/22/89)
I would like to get some *hard* information on disk controllers than can be configured to runs as the SECOND such device in an AT. My AT/clone came with a WD RLL controller running a Seagate ST-277R. I have a spare ST-251 which I would like to add to this machine. I've read all the flames on the various newsgroups that the ST-277 is just a ST-251 which has been rated to run with an RLL controller and go ahead and do it you have nothing to lose, etc. Well, I tried, and my software wouldn't even acknowledge the presence of the drive when I hooked it up (either SpeedStor or Disk Manager)! The ST-251 checks out OK when I run it with a genuine MFM controller, so I'm back to trying to find some company that makes an MFM controller that can be configured to be a second hard disk controller on the bus. If anyone has hard information, i.e., the name and model of such a device, (the phone number for the company if possible), and hopefully information of software which would run it(!) please e-mail to me directly. If I get any answers I'll post a summary to the newsgroup. Jim Heasley Institute for Astronomy University of Hawaii Internet: heasley@uhifa.ifa.hawaii.edu Bitnet: heasley@uhccux