Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!contex!brian
From: brian@contex.UUCP (Brian Love)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Trouble with 2090A and Hitachi DK511-8
Summary: Still no sight of land...
Keywords: Wrong bad blocks, "Not a DOS disk"
Message-ID: <874@contex.UUCP>
Date: 11 Dec 89 02:06:58 GMT
References: <497@contex.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Xyvision Design Systems, Wakefield MA
Lines: 24


I've got more information regarding my Hitachi DK511-8 troubles.
I snared another drive for comparisons and it produces the same results. 
	1) Any bad blocks entered to prep are a problem.
	2) Formatting is unsuccessful on any cylinder higher than 162!
	3) I can format a partition from 2-162, however when the system
	   is powered up, DH1: does not get mounted.
	4) And to top everything off, the reliability of the Rodime 3055
	   on unit 0 suffers;  nothing fatal but lots of disk errors.

The Hitachi is factory-configured to be soft-sectored with 32 256-byte
sectors per track.  Using BlocksPerTrack=32 in the mountlist didn't work;
I found I had to use BlocksPerTrack=17  (The Hitachi manual alludes to a
17 512-byte soft-sectored mode).  One non-Amiga techie suggested that my
controller probably wants a hard-sectored device.  Any comments?

I appreciate those of you who've read this far.  Assuming I can't get this
working with your help, who should I turn to?  Joe Dealer?  Commodore/CATS?
I wish I had more detailed technical info on my 2090a controller...

Brian C. Love

E-mail:  contex!brian@uunet.uu.net   OR   bcl@andrew.cmu.edu
Phone :  (617) 245-9004 x5578 @work  OR   (617) 395-4476 @home