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From: thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan)
Newsgroups: unix-pc.general,comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: Can't get Segate ST-4096 to work in UNIXPC (works fine in 6
Message-ID: <20034@cup.portal.com>
Date: 30 Jun 89 19:37:55 GMT
References: <322@cbnewsd.ATT.COM>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 24

Larry Thurman comments about the Seagate ST-4096 HD not being able to be
formatted in his UNIXPC; the drive works in his 6300 ...

The ST-4096 has 9 heads and 1024 cylinders.  The maximum the "stock" UNIXPC's
disk controller hardware can handle is 8 heads and 1024 cylinders.  The
error "4" you received is symptomatic of exceeding one of those parameters
(the number of heads in your case).

Swapping the WD1010 chip for a WD2010 will permit more cylinders, and doing
the P5.1 motherboard modification (fairly simple) will permit up to 16 heads.
For either or both of these mods, you'd also need the new diagnostics disk so
as to be able to format the disk properly; once the disk is formatted, the
stock OS will handle it properly.

ICUS Computer Systems is offering a set of instructions describing how to
upgrade the motherboard to P5.1 and handle 2 HDs.  John Milton will shortly
be providing a kit including printed circuit board to handle 2+ HDs.  And
another party(ies) are providing a PAL with socket, wire, and instructions to
permit the P5.1 upgrade to handle 16 heads.

Suggest you post a query to these newsgroups (unix-pc.general and comp.sys.att)
soliciting order information for any/all of those kits and upgrades.

Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]