Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpfcso!erik
From: erik@hpfcso.HP.COM (Erik Lode)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.i386
Subject: Re: Colorado Mag Tape driver for SYSV/386
Message-ID: <7350008@hpfcso.HP.COM>
Date: 21 Mar 90 16:36:35 GMT
References: <10622@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Lines: 58

/ hpfcso:comp.unix.i386 / morris@dms.UUCP (Jim Morris) / 11:25 am  Mar 19, 1990 /
> From article <2321@promark.UUCP>, by mark@promark.UUCP (Mark J. DeFilippis):
> > 
> > Just a note.  We have 6 - 8 of these drives at various locations/clients.
> > The first drivers we got were ver 2.02.  Problem... The kernel paniced
> > and crashed abruptly.  The tapes would write fine, but when you read them
> > back, they crash with an error 12.  The manual states this is related to
> > the Reed-Solomon ECC.  In any case, a few months ago I called yelling
> > about the problem.  It existed on 4 different manufacturer's 386 boards,
> > two flavors of Xenix, and 3 versions of xenix.  All exhibit the same
> > problem.
> > 

> I have a Jumbo tape drive running on Xenix 2.3.2 Using the 'standard" QIC-40
> driver supplied with Xenix. It seens to work fine. I have never had a crash,
> although I do get an error the first time the drive is accessed after a boot.
> After that error everything works fine. I don't doubt that CMS's driver is buggy
> but if you can use the one supplied with Xenix what is the incentive for them
> to fix it?? :>)

> It would be nice if they would supply enough info for us to write our
> own drivers, but like everyone else who tried, I was told that they could not
> supply any info. I really don't like dealing with a company that is so
> uncooperative, I probably won't buy any more of their drives because of that.
> It is worth paying extra to deal with a responsive company!!
> Anybody know of a "responsive" tape drive manufacturer???

> -- 
> Jim Morris.         {motcsd|weitek}!dms!morris or morris@dms.UUCP 
> Voice	(408) 434-3798
> Atari Games Corporation, 675 Sycamore Drive, Milpitas CA 95035 USA
> (Arcade Video Game Manufacturer, NOT Atari Corp. ST manufacturer).
> ----------

Hello Mr.Morris,

Here is the info you wanted on who to write or call to write your own driver:

Quarter Inch Cartridge Drive Standards, Inc.
311 East Camarillo St.
Santa Barbra, CA 93101

Voice: 805-963-3853
Fax:   805-962-1541

simply ask for the QIC-117 and QIC-40 spec's.

Any futher information on writing or on Colorado Memory Systems Xeinx driver 
please call Matt Nelson at 800-432-5858.

_____________

Colorado Memory Systems
Matt Nelson, Support Engineer
800 S. Taft
Loveland, CO 80537

Voice: 800-432-5858