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From: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech,comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Pal, Jr. HD controller info needed
Message-ID: <7163@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 28 Jun 89 19:33:33 GMT
References: <292@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu>
Reply-To: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 44

In article <292@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu> lofaso@titan.UUCP (Bernie Lofaso) writes:
>I have a PAL, Jr. expansion chassis for my A1000. This unit has what is
>essentially a 2090 hard disk controller on a Zorro I form factor.  I'm using
>it with an ST506 interface (a Seagate ST225 disk). Although I have been

yes; its pretty much the same design.

>happy with the unit, after running DiskPerf I found that I was actually
>getting pretty slow transfer rates - about 50k/sec.  My disk is formatted
>with the FFS and is running 1.3.  I have read postings of much higer transfer
>rates using the 2090/2090A and am wondering why my set-up is so slow. I

it doesn't sounds like you are really running FFS.  Check it with
the Workbench INFO menu item on your disk icon.  FFS can be recognized
by 512 bytes/block.  (Also, check your mountlist to make sure your
buffers are going into fast ram)

>realize most of these postings were using SCSI disks rather than ST506, but
>I don't think the difference is that great.  A reply from the manufacturer
>(who quit making the unit long ago) says that the ROM checksums were the
>same as the 2090A.  I would be interested in hearing from any other PAL or

also make sure you are using the latest software for the 2090 (version
34.4)

>PAL, Jr. owners who have run DiskPerf with ST506 disks.  I'd be thrilled just
>to get 200k/sec or so transfer rates.
>
>Also... has anyone tried getting this controller to do SCSI??

I don't think Byte By Byte always installed the Western Digital SCSI chip
when they sold the PAL Jr as an ST506 controller.  However, I've heard
from some people who've added the chip (I don't know what else they
did, whether or not they had to change jumpers or anything else)
and it worked.
>Bernie Lofaso
-- 
andy finkel		{uunet|rutgers|amiga}!cbmvax!andy
Commodore-Amiga, Inc.

  "It's in there."

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