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From: minow@mountn.dec.com (Martin Minow)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi,comp.sys.dec
Subject: Re: Is DEC RZ23 real SCSI?
Summary: Yes
Keywords: Does DEC use some odd proprietary controller query scheme?
Message-ID: <1644@mountn.dec.com>
Date: 4 Jun 90 00:05:53 GMT
References: <1990Jun2.213812.13909@spock.UUCP> <5454@crltrx.crl.dec.com>
Reply-To: minow@thundr.enet.dec.com (Martin Minow)
Followup-To: comp.periphs.scsi
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 22

First, I would want to make it clear that I do not recommend that you
connect a Dec RZ23 to a non-Dec computer.

The RZ23 is a normal SCSI device. Drive formatters, however (I'm only
familiar with the Macintosh) do a "device inquiry" to see what they're
connected to.  The RZ23 responds with something like "DEC RZ23". If your
drive formatter is looking for "QUANTUM P105S", it will fail with "don't
understand this drive."

Also, vendors (not specifically Dec) often add proprietary microcode to
the raw hardware.  For example, they may need to control certain kinds of
error handling.  The Ansi standard reserves certain "mode select" and "mode
sense" pages (records) to the manufacturer.  Some vendors (again, not
specifically Dec) send a Mode Sense command and expect to see "Copyright 1990
Mumble Corporation".

In the PC market, when you buy a drive from an end-user vendor, it generally
comes with a formatting package that understands its specific quirks.

Martin Minow
minow@thundr.enet.dec.com
The above does not represent the position of Digital Equipment Corporation.