modem7
10k Member
SpeedStor
SpeedStor
I will probably add the following SpeedStor information to my web site, also expanding on it.
Controller Test
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Navigation: [Diagnostics] [Controller]
SpeedStor asks the controller to do a self-test, and displays the response.
Note that it is not possible for the controller to COMPLETELY test itself. The passing of this test simply provides confidence.
Some people have reported that this test fails for their controller, even though their controller/drive combination appears to be fully functional. Maybe their controller is slightly faulty (e.g. bad buffer RAM, if any), but maybe their controller simply does not support the self-test function.
Seek Test
-----------------
Navigation: [Diagnostics] [SeekTest]
SpeedStor simply gets the controller to step (seek) the drive's heads to various cylinders.
You will hear the heads being stepped (moved). In the case where the drive has a stepper arm/flag/interrupter (example [here]), you will see the arm move. Often, if you put your hand on the drve, you will feel the stepping.
In the times that I have tried, disconnecting the data cable does NOT cause this test to fail. That tells me that the controller is not reading the disk surface, and from that, no true verification that the heads are where they are meant to be.
So, im my opinion, the passing of this test is no garantee that the drive is seeking (stepping) properly.
Read Test
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Navigation: [Diagnostics] [ReadTest]
Requirement: That the low-level format (LLF) on the drive is one that the controller can read. If there is a LLF mismatch between controller and drive, then all tracks will read as bad (note that other problems can also cause that symptom).
SpeedStor gets the controller to read sectors on the tracks (track = cylinder/head combination) that you specify.
Bad reads get listed below the purple banner.
SpeedStor
I will probably add the following SpeedStor information to my web site, also expanding on it.
Controller Test
-----------------
Navigation: [Diagnostics] [Controller]
SpeedStor asks the controller to do a self-test, and displays the response.
Note that it is not possible for the controller to COMPLETELY test itself. The passing of this test simply provides confidence.
Some people have reported that this test fails for their controller, even though their controller/drive combination appears to be fully functional. Maybe their controller is slightly faulty (e.g. bad buffer RAM, if any), but maybe their controller simply does not support the self-test function.
Seek Test
-----------------
Navigation: [Diagnostics] [SeekTest]
SpeedStor simply gets the controller to step (seek) the drive's heads to various cylinders.
You will hear the heads being stepped (moved). In the case where the drive has a stepper arm/flag/interrupter (example [here]), you will see the arm move. Often, if you put your hand on the drve, you will feel the stepping.
In the times that I have tried, disconnecting the data cable does NOT cause this test to fail. That tells me that the controller is not reading the disk surface, and from that, no true verification that the heads are where they are meant to be.
So, im my opinion, the passing of this test is no garantee that the drive is seeking (stepping) properly.
Read Test
-----------------
Navigation: [Diagnostics] [ReadTest]
Requirement: That the low-level format (LLF) on the drive is one that the controller can read. If there is a LLF mismatch between controller and drive, then all tracks will read as bad (note that other problems can also cause that symptom).
SpeedStor gets the controller to read sectors on the tracks (track = cylinder/head combination) that you specify.
Bad reads get listed below the purple banner.