Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!usc!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ogicse!ese3!buchholz From: buchholz@ese3.ogi.edu (Don Buchholz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: Conner IDE drives Message-ID: <11724@ogicse.ogi.edu> Date: 28 Aug 90 17:01:59 GMT References: <1990Aug11.040610.2366@agate.berkeley.edu> Sender: news@ogicse.ogi.edu Organization: Oregon Graduate Institute - Department of Env. Science and Eng. Lines: 44 >In article <1990Aug11.040610.2366@agate.berkeley.edu>, ilan343@violet.berkeley.edu writes: > What is the net-wisdom on IDE drives? I am considering a Conner IDE > 200M, which costs aprox. $900. In this price range, would I be better > off with an ESDI drive (suggestions please)? The machine I am setting > up is intended as single-user PC running Interactive's Unix/386. Here is my understanding of IDE drives. If I don't have all of the facts straight, I hope that someone who does know what they are talking about will post a followup message so that I can get them straight. Background: My only two experiences with IDE drives have been: 1) replacement of the original equipment in a Compaq Deskpro 386(16) -- we disabled the Compaq controller and purchased a WD controller card and 72 Mbyte CDC Wren II for less $$$ than a "reconditioned" Compaq drive 2) trying to do a low-level format on an AST Bravo 386SX 40 Mbyte Conner IDE -- Spinrite (I) came up with the message that it could not do a low-level format on the drive. So I decided that it wouldn't be necessary. [I do a low-level format on all new drives that come into our department. This procedure began when we were buying cheap XT-clones with Sleazegate ST-225's. We had at least 2 (out of 20) whose heads were unable to properly find all the tracks from the factory/retailers low-level format. I assume that the mechanisms were jostled enough while shipping to mis- align the heads.] After the AST experience, I thought that perhaps IDE did not need low-level formats because the controller and disk were "mathched" (so to speak). I now believe that this is *wrong* and that IDE drives do have low-level formats. A few weeks after my experiences with the Conner IDE, I had the occaision to call Gibson Research (the makers of Spinrite). They told me that IDE's do need low-level formatting, but that the format is something quite different from the typical MFM format that we're used to. Apparently IDEs use a scheme called "sector translation" to lay down the data. Western Digital and Seagate IDE's can be low-level formatted using the software provided by the manufacturer. Conner's disks, on the other hand, have a "proprietary" (a 4-letter word) for- matting scheme that requires one to send the disk back to Conner for a new format. Personally, I think that Conner's policy sucks! In the four years that I have been working here, I've managed to salvage 5+ disk drives by simply performing a low-level format on them. I see no reason that I should have to send a drive to the factory for a format! Don