Hi Guys
I have been tinkering with computers for some time and started doing so on an XT computer. I recently have aquired this hardware:
St 251-1 and st 251-0 drives 41 meg each
A wd1004 and WD1002 8 bit isa card
A wd1006 isa card
I really want to use them in my computer for logging, and low disk utilizition applications.
So far I have configured the Wd1004 and Wd1002 on address CA000, or 0x324, the secondary address, and have them running happily in my computer (abit very slowly).
This is where I need some of your help. I've used a program called diskman for format them, and also G=C800:5 in the bios. MFM i am assuming. (it doesn't say or give me the option to change to rll (I know its bad to format rll, but It is faster, but more unreliable if the drive will do it)). Anyways same result.
I have a lot of questions that ive been trying to figure out but im not getting anywhere. Im just going to be simple for now as I get carried away lol.
First one would be are the wd1004 and wd1002 rll compatabile?
In the pdf for the 1004 for example it says this:
SO
The WD1004-27X and WD1004A-27X boards work with any hard disk drive that has the ST506/412 drive interface and no more than 1024 cylinders and 16 heads.The Seagate 238 hard disk drive unit is such a drive.
Look in your drive manual to verify that you have an ST506/412 RLL drive or
check with your dealer.
and
This board does not work with RLL drives. If you have an MFM drive you
need either the WDXT–GEN2 or WD1004A–WX1 boar
... have me just confused. So verify I have an St506 std drive (example of this is a 238.. ok). Its an RLL drive.... and now your telling me it doesn't work with RLL in the next line ..lol. Im confused. AAH!.
So question 1, Anyways im assuming this is just an MFM and the RLL (7.5 mhz bus are 16 bit isa)
Which brings me to question number 2 .. getting there atleast
I realize that MFM is 5 mega-bits-per-second (5,000,000 bits/sec). Which is approximately 625,000 bytes a second, or well basically 625,000 *60 seconds * 1024 bytes * 1024 bytes = 1 minute transfer rate of 35.7 megs in a minute. TO me that just seems way too fast.
Anyways My problem #1 is, its is very slow, as expected, but seems too slow im told be people with experience with these drives. I've bench'd the drives at approx 1.3 megs in a minute (just large file transfer). It takes 13 minutes to transfer 17 megs !
So my question is .. is this normal or way too slow ? Did I mis configure something like the interleave ? Where ever you set that. !
And Question 3... the wd1006. Has no G=C800:5 in debug, *however* apprently you can access it by G=CC00:5 . I fail and have no luck doing so.
So what am I doing wrong. ?
When I use the XT 8 bit ctrl... I don't setup anything in the bios, msdos sees the drive fine. When I use the AT I set the pri IDe interfaces to disabled, (as well as FDD disabled on the card with an FDD, my wd1006 doesn't not have the fdd ctrl) and set the correct user type / drive paramters... and get no fixed disks found, nothing to preformat in disk man, and nothing to run in debug.. I've hit a wall ! doh.
I have tried all the different bios ranges and dumped the 0000 -> CCCC range looking for bios string with no luck. I take it that this is the next step to go if I want the RLL size and speed?
If anyone can help me out ID really appreciate it !
I am not using a legacy system for this, I am using a P2 350 mhz with an ISA, and also a P2B asus mobo /w a 450 mhz cpu. SAme results in both.
P.s. this page has really good helpful advice for jumper settings of this should google not help! ,
http://artofhacking.com/th99/
Cheers,
Thanks for any help guys!
Jonathan
I have been tinkering with computers for some time and started doing so on an XT computer. I recently have aquired this hardware:
St 251-1 and st 251-0 drives 41 meg each
A wd1004 and WD1002 8 bit isa card
A wd1006 isa card
I really want to use them in my computer for logging, and low disk utilizition applications.
So far I have configured the Wd1004 and Wd1002 on address CA000, or 0x324, the secondary address, and have them running happily in my computer (abit very slowly).
This is where I need some of your help. I've used a program called diskman for format them, and also G=C800:5 in the bios. MFM i am assuming. (it doesn't say or give me the option to change to rll (I know its bad to format rll, but It is faster, but more unreliable if the drive will do it)). Anyways same result.
I have a lot of questions that ive been trying to figure out but im not getting anywhere. Im just going to be simple for now as I get carried away lol.
First one would be are the wd1004 and wd1002 rll compatabile?
In the pdf for the 1004 for example it says this:
IDENTIFY DRIVE The WD1004-27X and WD1004A-27X boards work with any hard disk drive that has the ST506/412 drive interface and no more than 1024 cylinders and 16 heads. The Seagate 238 hard disk drive unit is such a drive.
Look in your drive manual to verify that you have an ST506/412 RLL drive or
check with your dealer. Then check the drive manual for the drive parameters, such as those listed in Table 1-1. You'll need this information to select the proper low level format. Table 1-1. WD1004 and WD1004A Default Drive Parameters Formatted Capacity Number of Heads Number of Cylinders Sectors per Track
32MB 4 615 26
This board does not work with RLL drives. If you have an MFM drive you
need either the WDXT–GEN2 or WD1004A–WX1 boar
SO
The WD1004-27X and WD1004A-27X boards work with any hard disk drive that has the ST506/412 drive interface and no more than 1024 cylinders and 16 heads.The Seagate 238 hard disk drive unit is such a drive.
Look in your drive manual to verify that you have an ST506/412 RLL drive or
check with your dealer.
and
This board does not work with RLL drives. If you have an MFM drive you
need either the WDXT–GEN2 or WD1004A–WX1 boar
... have me just confused. So verify I have an St506 std drive (example of this is a 238.. ok). Its an RLL drive.... and now your telling me it doesn't work with RLL in the next line ..lol. Im confused. AAH!.
So question 1, Anyways im assuming this is just an MFM and the RLL (7.5 mhz bus are 16 bit isa)
Which brings me to question number 2 .. getting there atleast
I realize that MFM is 5 mega-bits-per-second (5,000,000 bits/sec). Which is approximately 625,000 bytes a second, or well basically 625,000 *60 seconds * 1024 bytes * 1024 bytes = 1 minute transfer rate of 35.7 megs in a minute. TO me that just seems way too fast.
Anyways My problem #1 is, its is very slow, as expected, but seems too slow im told be people with experience with these drives. I've bench'd the drives at approx 1.3 megs in a minute (just large file transfer). It takes 13 minutes to transfer 17 megs !
So my question is .. is this normal or way too slow ? Did I mis configure something like the interleave ? Where ever you set that. !
And Question 3... the wd1006. Has no G=C800:5 in debug, *however* apprently you can access it by G=CC00:5 . I fail and have no luck doing so.
So what am I doing wrong. ?
When I use the XT 8 bit ctrl... I don't setup anything in the bios, msdos sees the drive fine. When I use the AT I set the pri IDe interfaces to disabled, (as well as FDD disabled on the card with an FDD, my wd1006 doesn't not have the fdd ctrl) and set the correct user type / drive paramters... and get no fixed disks found, nothing to preformat in disk man, and nothing to run in debug.. I've hit a wall ! doh.
I have tried all the different bios ranges and dumped the 0000 -> CCCC range looking for bios string with no luck. I take it that this is the next step to go if I want the RLL size and speed?
If anyone can help me out ID really appreciate it !
I am not using a legacy system for this, I am using a P2 350 mhz with an ISA, and also a P2B asus mobo /w a 450 mhz cpu. SAme results in both.
P.s. this page has really good helpful advice for jumper settings of this should google not help! ,
http://artofhacking.com/th99/
Cheers,
Thanks for any help guys!
Jonathan