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From: rick@ut-ngp.UUCP (Rick Watson)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: MacSCSI problems
Message-ID: <2642@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 24-Nov-85 01:44:52 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2642
Posted: Sun Nov 24 01:44:52 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 25-Nov-85 20:53:23 EST
References: <170@brand.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
Lines: 39


It sounds like you are getting disk errors.  Unfortunately, the Fastime
software does not really report errors back to the system correctly, so
it is possible to have really bizarre problems if you get disk errors.

I am posting ReadXebec and TestControl to net.sources.mac. ReadXebec
will read all the sectors on a 5 or 18 megabyte drive connected to
a S1410A controller. It reports the controller internal error counters
before and after reading all the sectors. It also reports any read
errors as they are encountered. It reads the disk in "don't correct
errors mode" so that even correctable errors are reported.
Note that this may not work with S1410 controllers that don't
have the "retry stats" command. Click the mouse to abort early,
and at the end to exit the program.

TestControl reads and writes the sector buffer in the S1410A controller
without reading or writing the disk.  It should run with absolutely
no errors.  If you do get errors, you have a Mac <--> S1410A
problem, which could cause endless untold errors. Again, I don't
think this will work with S1410 controllers. Enter 0 for the
pass count to end the program.

If ReadXebec gets errors, run it again several times. If you 
get errors on the same sector every time, you probably have bad
spots on the disk.  If the errors are more random, you probably
have a bad interface, controller, power supply, cable, etc. 
Try wiggling cables when it runs. Check your power supply voltages
for accuracy.  Clean your connectors, but if you use a pencil
eraser, be sure not to be too industrious as you can erase all
the gold off the contacts.

Hope this helps.

Rick Watson
University of Texas Computation Center
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