Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!GeeWhiz
From: GeeWhiz@cup.portal.com (Paul Terry Pryor)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix
Subject: Irwin Tape Drives
Message-ID: <16896@cup.portal.com>
Date: 9 Apr 89 01:51:17 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 24

Oboy, the Irwin 40mb (model 445) 1/4" cartigage drives are driving me up 
the wall already ! The tape drive is external kind, which attaches to
external port at back of DTC floppy card controller.

On my personal Xenix 286 2.2.3 box, I was unable to perform tape i/o of
any kind. Until I (on a hunch or some pure luck) tried backup command.
Afterwards, my tape drive worked great.

On a multiuser Xenix 286 2.2.3 box, the tape drive was purring along.
Until I removed the dual 40mb ST-506 CDC drives and installed 160mb
ESDI CDC Wren II drive with Western Digital ESDI controller. During
the intermim (when CDC Wren II was in), I could not hook up the tape
drive. A month later, the 160 mb drive had to go, and I reinstalled
the dual 40mb drives with DTC controller. The tape drive now balks
at any tape i/o.

The problem is very serious ! If I attempted to access the tape drive,
the Xenix system locked up real cold. A power cycle (on/off/on) was
necessary to regain control. And fsck had to be run.

I am suspecting a very flakey tape driver (or incompatible upgrade
of Irwin tape drive ROM).

Any help greatly appreciated ! Thanks.