Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!kth.se!sunic!ugle.unit.no!ugle.runit.sintef.no!thoger From: thoger@solan.unit.no (Terje Th|gersen) Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi,connect.audit Subject: Re: Comments on 269n wanted... Message-ID: Date: 4 Mar 91 22:49:51 GMT References: <1991Feb27.200007.2439@ibmpcug.co.uk> Sender: news@ugle.unit.no Organization: Institute of Physical Chemistry, NTH Lines: 60 In-Reply-To: hdrw@ibmpcug.co.uk's message of 27 Feb 91 20:00:07 GMT In article <1991Feb27.200007.2439@ibmpcug.co.uk> hdrw@ibmpcug.co.uk (Howard Winter) writes: [deletions] I had no problems with the installation, but the formatting process does not allow the interleave factor to be changed. It is set to 3:1 by the software giving a transfer rate of 310K bytes/second. I believe that the 8-bit controller would not be able to handle 2:1 or 1:1 interleave. Coretest gives performance figures: Average seek time 31.5mS, track-to- track seek: 10.8mS. Data transfer 310Kb/Sec, Performance factor 3.5 XT. I have heard this drive described as 'famously brain-damaged' and that it cannot be formatted at 1:1 interleave. I understand this is because its SCSI controller (on the drive, not the card) cannot handle it. I have had only one problem, that very occasionally it fails to power up properly. A sharp thump to the front of the PC's case cures it, which suggests that the heads are not moving from their parked position (the drive auto-parks on power-down). This has only happened about 4 or 5 times, over several months, and could be due to the room being rather cold. [and more deletions..] Hi! You can format the drive down to 2:1 using the program in the BIOS, or using Diskmanager with the /M option. I've used two of these drives, and they've worked at 2:1 in an AT-compatible as well as my current 386sx. I've used ST01 and ST02 controllers, both with BIOS-revs 3.0.0. I tried 1:1, but this did not work. I have, however, seen a post from a guy that claimed he got 1:1 from a ST296/ST01 combo in a 25MHz 386. As for the "not-starting-up-properly"-problem, one of my drives developed this problem after about a year of usage. It seemed to be related to the temperature of the drive. (In other words, if I'd left the window open, so the drive was chilled down to 10-15 deg. Celsius, I'd get the problem every time.) I "cured" the problem by leaving the computer on for a minute or so, and then rebooting. A few comments, not previously noted : The drives run *very* hot. In fact, after just a few minutes, they are almost uncomfortably warm to the touch. Secondly : noise.. Two of these starting up and going through their self-tests will, for example, require you to shout when using the telephone.. :-) -Terje -- ____________________________________________________________________________ thoger@solan.unit.no | Institute of Physical Chemistry THOGER AT NORUNIT.BITNET | Div. of Computer Assisted Instrumental Analysis | Norwegian Institute of Technology