Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!whuts!homxb!homxc!rps
From: rps@homxc.UUCP (R.SHARPLES)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Hard Disks: XT vs. AT
Summary: How about a WD1006 WAH
Message-ID: <2750@homxc.UUCP>
Date: 21 Jul 88 14:28:16 GMT
References: <6201@megaron.arizona.edu> <1988Jul19.100226.737@mntgfx.mentor.com>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 37

In article <1988Jul19.100226.737@mntgfx.mentor.com>, mikes@mntgfx.mentor.com (Mike Stanbro) writes:
>   * The WX1 is an 8-bit peripheral, the WA2 is a 16-bit.
> 
>   * The configuration setup on the WX1 is jumper selectable, on the WA2 it is 
>     electrically programmed at boot-up using the disk-type data stored in the
>     CMOS configuration RAM.
> 
>   * The WX1 is a hard-disk only controller, the WA2 is both a hard-disk 
>     controller and a floppy controller.
> 
> I have installed a lot of hard disks in both XT's and AT's but never 
> tried using a WX1 controller in an AT so I can't say that it is or 
> isn't possible.  Even if it is possible to use the 8-bit controller, 
> I suspect there is a significant performance difference between the two 
> due to 2X data width and less wait states for the 16-bit controller.
> 
> You can get a WA2 for about $140 if you shop around.

We have several AT&T 6386s around here which have Western Digital 1006 WAH
controllers in them.  With these controllers they run with a 1:1 interleave.
The CORE test program clocks the data transfer rate at 500kb/sec, about
twice what my 28ms 70meg Core/WD1003-WA2 combination will do.  These disks
*without* the LIGHTNING disk caching program are as fast as mine with 
LIGHTNING!

Needless to say, I would like to get a WD1006 WAH controller but I have
never seen one advertised.  Does anyone know about this controller, what
it costs, who sells it?

Russ Sharples
homxc!rps

NOTE:

The above in NO WAY reflects the opinions of AT&T.
These opinions are my own and the results of un-scientific and 
highly irregular analysis methods.