Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!ria!valve.heart.rri.uwo.ca!wlsmith
From: wlsmith@valve.heart.rri.uwo.ca (Wayne Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: ST 1144A IDE questions
Message-ID: <3126@ria.ccs.uwo.ca>
Date: 25 May 91 20:24:46 GMT
Sender: news@ria.ccs.uwo.ca
Distribution: na
Organization: The John P. Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario
Lines: 29
Originator: wlsmith@valve.heart.rri.uwo.ca

Just have a few questions about IDE drives in general, the ST1144A (125 MB)
in particular...
I just got one from California Microchip, but no setup disk (was I suposed
to get something like Disk Manager?)

It came with a ASKA-2839 controller card.  On booting, my 286 system doesn't
know its there, and, using debug, I can't find any sort of IDE bios (I was
looking for a run address of some sort, maybe to do a low level format or
verify the surface - something that would indicate the existance of the 
drive).  

DOS 4.01 Fdisk says I have no hard drives.   

So, is an IDE version of Disk Manager needed here?

Just what is the nature of an IDE interface (ie- is it like having the guts
of an MFM or RLL controller card built into the drive with a pitance of
bus interface as the controller card)?  If so, is the drive (instead of the
controller) i/o mapped?  

Do IDE drives even have a bios, or do they load some sort of driver as they
boot? 

I have played quite a bit with mixing/matching MFM, RLL, and SCSI drives,
and IDE is new to me....

Inquiring minds want (NEED!) to know...