tamboer@cs.vu.nl (Tamboer Erik) (05/06/91)
aris@mundoe.maths.mu.OZ.AU (Aris Theocharides) writes: >I have a problem setting up an AT computer with an NEC D5126H hard disk drive. >The hard disk controller is a DTC 5280 (MFM). The trouble is that the disk >light is always ON. I have a Sirex AT with two hard disks installed. Each drive has a light on it, and there is another light (LED, I know) on the computer's front panel. The light on the front panel only lights up when there is data being transferred from/to any hard disk. The lights on the drives themselves seem to indicate which drive was accessed last. If drive C: was accessed last, the light on drive C: is on *and stays on* until drive D: is accessed. Then it goes off and the light on D: goes on. Perhaps you are looking at one of those..? I can imagine that if you have only one hard disk drive, its light stays on all the time. In my computer, the light on the front panel (which is off if no data is being transferred) is connected directly to the controller board, not to the disk drive. >Thanks in advance, > Aris. Bye! Erik -- | Erik Tamboer o | "You know, there are many people in the | | tamboer@cs.vu.nl <\ | country today who, through no fault of | | . . . . .. /> | their own, are sane." - Arthur Belling |
hdrw@ibmpcug.co.uk (Howard Winter) (05/07/91)
I have a mchine with a Miniscribe 3650 drive, and its light had always been on all the time - I'd assumed it was to indicate it was ready. Then I added another drive and found that its light came on when it was accessed and went off immediately. The first drive's light comes on when you access it and goes off when you access the _other_ drive. With only 1 drive there is no 'other' so it stays on - I think you have the same situation - ie. no problem. Howard. -- Automatic Disclaimer: The views expressed above are those of the author alone and may not represent the views of the IBM PC User Group. -- hdrw@ibmpcug.Co.UK Howard Winter 0W21' 51N43'
drp@buhub.bradley.edu (Douglas Pokorny) (05/07/91)
The design of the AT hard disk controller is done in a manner in which the drive select latches until another drive is made active. This is claimed to be a feature which increases the speed of the hard drive. (The computer doesn't have to wait for the disk to respons to the drive select if it is always selected) Whether or not there is any benefit is of dubious value. Most clone controllers have the option to disable this, and use the "normal" XT style of drive accesses. Unless you are staring at the front of the drives, and find the constant light anoying, don't bother with it. _________________________________________________________ ________ ___ ___ |_ __ \ | | | | Douglas R. Pokorny | |__| / | | | | drp@buhub.bradley.edu | __ \ | | | | CS major/Geisert Hall Resident _| |__| | | \__/ | The best of both worlds! |________/ \______/ Bradley University "The Harvard of the Midwest"
public@cc.tut.fi (PD Software Group) (05/07/91)
In article <9856@star.cs.vu.nl> tamboer@cs.vu.nl (Tamboer Erik) writes: >aris@mundoe.maths.mu.OZ.AU (Aris Theocharides) writes: > >>I have a problem setting up an AT computer with an NEC D5126H hard disk drive. >>The hard disk controller is a DTC 5280 (MFM). The trouble is that the disk >>light is always ON. > >I have a Sirex AT with two hard disks installed. Each drive has a light >on it, and there is another light (LED, I know) on the computer's front >panel. The light on the front panel only lights up when there is data being >transferred from/to any hard disk. The lights on the drives themselves seem >to indicate which drive was accessed last. If drive C: was accessed last, the >light on drive C: is on *and stays on* until drive D: is accessed. Then it >goes off and the light on D: goes on. I have bit different situation... My computer is Sunlogix AT and I've two hard disk installed, too. Both of them contain a LED and there's another LED on the computer's front panel. It flashes every time when any hard disk is accessed. What comes to hard disks' LEDs, the led on the first disk shines nearly all the time, but when I access to the second hard disk, the the first HDs light goes off for a little time and the second HD's light goes on. But when that read/write access ends, the first HD's led goes on again and the second goes off. So when I stay on second hard disk (i.e. no disk accesses on any disk) first HD's led is on. -- Tapio Keih{nen | "Whenever you dream Mesihein{nkatu 2 B 6 | you're holding the key, 33340 Tampere, Finland | it opens the door public@cc.tut.fi | to let you be free" - RJD '85
davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (Dave McCrady) (05/08/91)
aris@mundoe.maths.mu.OZ.AU (Aris Theocharides) writes: > I have a problem setting up an AT computer with an NEC D5126H hard disk drive > The hard disk controller is a DTC 5280 (MFM). The trouble is that the disk > light is always ON. > I have upgraded from an XT motherboard and the disk worked fine then. I > also want to hook up a Tandon TM262 drive, which the controller should do. > My guess is that the jumper/switches on the HDD are incorrectly set. > If anyone has any help it would be greatly appreciated. > Most AT controllers do that .. there's nothing wrong with your setup. They simply don't deselect the drive when they're finished with it unless they have to go talk t another one. They assume the drive wll be hidden away in an AT-style case and it won't matter ... Dave McCrady | ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca +1 403-454-4054 (voice) | Disclaimer? Who needs a disclaimer? +1 403-454-6093 (public USENET) | I >own< the joint.
kayd@prism.cs.orst.edu (Kayd) (05/08/91)
Another reason for hard drive lights to stay on is a special option that leaves the hard drives continuously selected for faster access time. My last controller card was that way. THe light on the front of the case was on from the time of boot up. I wouldn't worry about it. Darrek Kay Kayd@Prism.cs.orst.edu (503)737-9410