Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!evax!utacfd!merch!cpe!adaptex!adaptx1!neese
From: neese@adaptx1.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi
Subject: Re: Maxtor drive problems (LONG)
Message-ID: <283400056@adaptx1>
Date: 27 Feb 91 05:28:26 GMT
References: <493@unixland.uucp>
Lines: 51
Nf-ID: #R:unixland.uucp:493:adaptx1:283400056:000:2029
Nf-From: adaptx1.UUCP!neese    Feb 26 08:14:00 1991


>/* ---------- "Maxtor drive problems (LONG)" ---------- */
>
>I have a Maxtor XT-8760S that I bought in "untested" condition at
>a flea market.  I figured out how to get the SCSI id set, and put it
>in line in my system as follows (I bypassed my tapedrive for this test).
>
>       external 
>       connector
>           !
>          \/
>###### ----->  ###### -----> #######
>Adaptec        Maxtor        CDC Wren
>1542b          XT-8760S      94171-307  
>terminators    no terms.     terminators.
>               SCSI id 1     SCSI id 0
>
>The machine boots, the Adaptec bios finds the drives.  When I try
>to run scsicntl, it bombs, saying something like this:
>
>Read Capacity:  hard Drive 1 error reported
>sense key 03:  medium error
>error code 31:  format failed
>STUFF DELETED<

It sounds like the drive cannot find the firmware on the media.  This
particular Maxtor has a small amount of firmware resident on the drive
ROM to get it started and it copies the real firmware off of the disk
into RAM on the controller.
If the drive cannot get the firmware off of the disk, you would get the
errors you described.  One of two problems exist in this scenario.  The
blocks on the media, where the firmware is located have gone bad, or the
disk head that reads the media has gone bad, in either case, the disk
is not able to locate/read the firmware off of the disk.  To correct this
error, you would have to replace the HDA assembly.
The other scenario is; The HDA controller board is gone away and needs to be
replaced.  I don't think this would be the problem as the controller is
alive enough to report problems.

>One other question:  should "any" electronics parts house carry the 
>terminators for this drive (in-line pins, 8 pins), or do I need to contact
>Maxtor?

They are standard SIP resistor terminator packs.  220/120 ohm.

			Roy Neese
			Adaptec Senior SCSI Applications Engineer
			UUCP @  neese@adaptex
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