Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!math.fu-berlin.de!opal!unido!gypsy!sievert
From: sievert@gypsy.ims.fhg.de (Karsten Sievert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: HD ST251 in SH204 doesn't start
Message-ID: <68@gypsy.ims.fhg.de>
Date: 5 Apr 91 14:39:42 GMT
Distribution: comp
Lines: 31


Hi!

Some month ago I bought an old SH204 housing with a Seagate ST251 40MB HD.
This combination doesn't start properly. After power up it never starts,
so I have to switch it off and on again and again, until it works.
Once started, it operates ok, no problems at all.

This is a problem between controller and HD, I don't even have to connect 
the ST to watch it. I even used an logic analyser to find out about it,
but found nothing. 

The procedure is this: 

After power up, the HD performs its selftest. this ends up in moving the 
heads to track 0 and reporting READY\. Than the controller moves the 
heads slowly up some tracks and jumps back to track zero. Here it stopps
for some 10ms "thinking"... 
Now comes the point: Either the controller works on by moving the head 
upwards about 8 steps of about 10 tracks (numbers may be wrong)
--- or --- 
it doesn't.

If it doesn't, the ST wouldn't recognize the HD and boot.

Can someone give me a hint or a heck to solve this ***** problem?
I'm just about to smash it ...

-Clarance

(sievert@ims.fhg.de)