[comp.os.os2.misc] ESDI and OS/2 1.3...

spierk@cs.rpi.edu (Kevin Spier) (06/11/91)

OK, here is my problem. I would like to install a large ESDI drive approx.
300MB in an older AT-clone (specifically an Epson III+). The BIOS does
not have a user defined type but some one told me it wasn't necessary
(the ESDI controller got that info from the drive and then supplied it
to the op sys). Can such a setup be used with OS/2 1.3 or is it
necessary to get some kind of special driver or something? Any help
would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail directly to me to conserve
net bandwidth. BTW, I notice that some of these drives have > 1024 cyls,
is this a problem.

Thanks,
Kevin L. Spier
spierk@turing.cs.rpi.edu

boegehol@az3.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (Harald Boegeholz) (06/13/91)

In article <g#1hmaa@rpi.edu> spierk@cs.rpi.edu (Kevin Spier) writes:
   300MB in an older AT-clone (specifically an Epson III+). The BIOS does
   not have a user defined type but some one told me it wasn't necessary
   (the ESDI controller got that info from the drive and then supplied it
   to the op sys). Can such a setup be used with OS/2 1.3 or is it
   necessary to get some kind of special driver or something? Any help
   would be greatly appreciated. Please e-mail directly to me to conserve
   net bandwidth. BTW, I notice that some of these drives have > 1024 cyls,
   is this a problem.

I am successfully using a Seagate 4766E drive with an Adaptec 2322D
controller under OS/2 1.3. The BIOS doesn't need to know the drive
type; the controller takes care of this. I just entered the drive type
1 in the BIOS setup.

Yes, there is a 1024 cylinder limit, at least with my controller.
There are two possibilities to get around this:
- remapping the drive -> more heads/less cylinders; supported by the
Adaptec 2322D, but only up to 16 heads (not enough for me)
- drive splitting: This is what I do. The Adaptec controller allows me
to view the first 1024 cylinders as drive C, and the rest of the disk
as drive D. You loose the option to add another drive, though.

For both methods, no drivers are required.

Hope this helps

Harald
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