Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pilchuck!del
From: del@Data-IO.COM (Erik Lindberg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: RLL controller
Message-ID: <1038@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM>
Date: 14 Nov 88 08:10:05 GMT
References: <299@deimos.cis.ksu.edu> <400@mccc.UUCP>
Reply-To: del@pilchuck.Data-IO.COM (Erik Lindberg)
Organization: Data I/O Corporation; Redmond, WA
Lines: 40

In article <400@mccc.UUCP> pjh@mccc.UUCP (Pete Holsberg) writes:
>Use an RLL controller ONLY with drives certified by their manufacturer
>to be compatible with RLL operation.
>-- 

Sigh. Here we go again... I think this piece of mis-information was
started by a conspiracy between Western Digital and Seagate. And it
keeps getting spread around and around. 

RLL was originally designed to work with *standard* hard drives. And
it will, with any high quality drive/controller combination. 
Unfortunately, price seems to be the main criteria for purchases to
most people, and WD and Seagate have filled that demand admirably,
sacrificing performance (both of course have quality products available,
but these aren't the most popular).

Anyway, this is an old issue and I am tired of repeating the technical
details (why didn't I just save a boilerplate to post?). I will just
say that I have installed many non "RLL certified" drives and they 
work fine. Specifically, most Miniscribe drives and Maxtor drives
are not "RLL certified" but will work with RLL (as long as you don't
use the Western Digital 1002-27x controller). Many other drives will
also work. I suspect Maxtor and Miniscribe "RLL certified" drives are
not any different from their "regular" drives, but they are filling
the public demand for "RLL certification". At a price.

If you are a novice at hardware installation, and are purchasing 
both the drive and the controller new, it is good advice to stick
with an RLL certified combination. If you already have a drive and
are wondering whether it will work with RLL, buy an OMTI or
Adaptec controller and try it. Contrary to some rumors you may hear
it is not possible to damage your drive through the use of RLL. Again
this is a result of WD 1002-27x 'ism. This controller will sometimes
respond to certain drive conditions by locking up the machine,
preventing the user from doing a low level format. The drive is not
damaged, you will just have to format on a controller other than WD.

-- 
del (Erik Lindberg) 
uw-beaver!tikal!pilchuck!del