What is this drive?

[dongfeng]

Any idea what the specifications of this drive could be?

I've tried to fire it up using a Seagate ST11M/ST11R controller on an XT machine but it is not recognised.

From Google, I think this drive was from an IBM AT. Do I need an AT controller?

To be honest, I doubt it works, it was used as a door-stop for years!

 

[chuckcmagee]

I'm betting it is a 31MB drive from a IBM AT. Here's a similar one

HDD 31MB 5.25" full height Manufactured by IBM (UK) Ltd, Havant, England.
270187-ESP185-38 Type 0665 B/C 046493838
Sequence no. 990383829 Ship serial no. 020665-38570050791

Oh, I see you found the same stuff in google, oh well. We know it's MFM. I'm clueless on the AT controller question.

 

[Jorg]

I think the XT Bios' drive table won't probably recognize it.

 

[Druid6900]

Well, it's a model 0665-38 30MB hard drive (probably the original IBM PC/AT drive) and, it's an AT Type 20 (for their drive table). The specs are 733 300 734 17, so, it's not going to work with a ST-11M/R. It may though, work with some other XT HD controller that has a fuller drive table or lets you input the parameters for the drive via the c800:5 setup.

Does it spin up when powered on?

 

[dongfeng]

Thanks guys

Yes it powers up and sounds absolutely fine.

The ST11R/ST11M controller does allow the drive types to be set by sector/heads/tracks/etc but says "no drive found" when run. I think the copyright message on startup is 1991. I haven't actually tried it in an AT class machine yet though. Unfortunately I don't have any other controllers to try it with, other than the original 10 and 20MB ones in my XTs!

 

[Terry Yager]

Looks pretty battered. You been beatin on it with a hammer, or what?

--T

 

[dongfeng]

Not my doing - it was used as a doorstop at work :shocked:

 

[Terry Yager]

I wouldn't bet on it being functional.

--T

 

[dongfeng]

I know, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to at least try

I think it will now just sit on my desk next to the dead ST-412 :D

 

[Druid6900]

I wouldn't be so sure.

Most drives, when off, can survive a 10 G impact which would turn most people into a red smear against whatever they hit.

Send it to me and I'll send you pictures of it working and living a long and happy life :D

 

[nige the hippy]

Just about every one of the ibm drives of that type we had in looked battered like that, the aluminium lids are like tinfoil. If you get another mfm controller, and there's no grinding noises from it, there's a good chance it'll work, I seem to remember they were quite reliable.

Ahh, I hope the servo surface remains intact over time, I suppose that could degrade

my first drive was the 80MB version of that, it was yummy.

 

[dongfeng]

What kind of controller do I need to look out for?

It spins up absolutely fine and sounds as it should. I think it has a head parking mechanism that activates when the power is cut.

 

[modem7]

The place I used to work for had lots of 5170's. At first the drives were Seagate ST-4026 (20MB), then they became the IBM 0665 (30MB).
In fact, the IBM 0665 (being a type 20) was not supported in the 5170 until the second BIOS revision.

In my experience, a 'no drive' type error is a very basic 'I cant find a hard drive' error. As different XT controllers can have different cabling/select requirements, try the following:
1. The drive select jumper (adjacent to the power connector) is set for '2' for the standard 5170 controller. Try position '1'.
2. Try the alternate connector of the hard drive cable.
3. Try combinations of 1 and 2

You will almost certainly have to low-level format the drive (different hard drive controller chip families usually use different low-level formats).

Re your "Unfortunately I don't have any other controllers to try it with, other than the original 10 and 20MB ones in my XTs!"

If the above hasn't got you working, try your 5160 10/20MB controller cards. That's fine, because at this point, all you want to do is determine basic serviceability (get past the 'no drive' error). All cylinders/heads won't be used - it doesn't matter at this point. You will need to use the connector on the cable that's before the twist, and the drive select jumper will need to be changed to '1'. Low-level format using Speedstor 6.05 (6.05 is for XT class machines) or similar, or whatever.

 

[dongfeng]

Excellent! Thank you Modem7 - it seems to be working now!

The Seagate controller has booted up the a screen saying that the drive has not been set up, and to enter in the cylinders/heads/tracks/etc.

I guess that means the drive works?

What could I enter in to test with?

:D

 

[dongfeng]

I've set the drive up as a standard type 20 on the Western Digital controller; cylinders 733, heads 5, 300 precomp, 732 landzone (it didn't ask me for this though) and sectors 17. The controller low-levelled the drive and I then high-leveled it in DOS.

It works! :D

Now formatted and booting to PC-DOS 3.30. I'll get Norton Utilities on it and give it a good scan, but it appears ok so far.

Thanks to everyone on here, I really didn't think it would work as it really was used to prop open a door in my IT department for about 10 years...

All I need now is the IBM AT to put it in

 

[modem7]

I really didn't think it would work as it really was used to prop open a door in my IT department for about 10 years...

So it's been 'booted' many times!
Sorry

 

[chuckcmagee]

Shoe! Shoe! Get outta here.

 

[dongfeng]

You didn't really put your sole in to that one, did you?

 

[modem7]

We'd better be careful.
Too many bad posts like these and we'll get 'kicked' out of the forum.

 

[mbbrutman]

And after you get kicked out of the forum, you'd feel like a heel ...