Seagate ST-125

From: Jonathan Engdahl <j.r.engdahl_at_adelphia.net>
Date: Mon Mar 17 21:23:00 2003

I would really like to know how to get the XXDP utilities into that "mode".
I've been using the utilities with no manuals. I have discovered how to
binary hack ZRQCH0 to format a Maxtor XT1140, but it was real difficult, and
I have not reduced it to a cut-and-dried formula. I have a spreadsheet that
helps, but you still have to know a lot about what is going on, and make
some lucky guesses to cover what you don't know.

My spreadsheet, such as it is, is located on this page:
http://users.safeaccess.com/engdahl/xxdp.htm. I figured out a lot about the
TLAs by reading the back of the RQDX3 manual, and by reading the DEC patent
that covers a similar technology. The patent ref is on my web page.

If anyone can help me find a copy of the manual for ZRQCH0, I'd be most
appreciative. I'd also be interested in adding any further info that anyone
has gathered or generated regarding this topic to my web page.

I use the "25" version of XXDP that is downloadable from sunsite or the
RCS/RI site.

--
Jonathan Engdahl
http://users.safeaccess.com/engdahl
"The things which are seen are temporary,
 but the things which are not seen are eternal."  II Cor. 4:18
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Turnbull" <pete_at_dunnington.u-net.com>
To: <cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2003 5:48 PM
Subject: Re: Seagate ST-125
> On Mar 17, 18:42, Stan Barr wrote:
> > The Wanderer <quapla_at_xs4all.nl> said:
> >
> > > A small question, can a Seagate ST-125 be used as a replacement for
> a RD5x?
>
> > I'd like to know too...
> >
> > Some info I got on using 3rd-party disks says the following:
> >
> > "These are the "successes" all done on PDP-11's with the
> >     ZRQCH0 formatter:
> > .
> > .
> > .
> > (5) Seagate ST-125 (20 MB 3.5" HH): This one is basically a "no
> >     brainer" -- the drive has the same geometry as the RD-31,
> >     and will format as such."
>
> There are basically three ways to get an ST412-like disk to work on an
> RQDXx controller.
>
> The easiest is obviously to use a real (or exact equivalent to) RD5x or
> RD3x disk, and format it as such.
>
> A second way is to use ZRQCH? in the mode that lets you specify the
> type, and format a disk which is slightly bigger (more tracks and/or
> more heads), as if it were one of the supported types.  That only works
> for an RQDX3 with late(ish) ROMs.
>
> A variation on this for an RQDX1 is to use really old ROMs and a disk
> that behaves sufficiently like an RD51 or RD52 (eg has the right number
> of cylinders).  Not all disks work, and they may stop working if you
> substitute later ROMs (real RD51/52 disks are OK, the firware
> recognises them and updates the format).  The reason is that the
> firmware in the RQDX1/2 recognises disk geometries by probing, by
> playing tricks with the disks.  The earliest version of the firmware
> had only very simple tests, and could be fooled (I used to use a Rodime
> 3.5" drive on my RQDX1), but later firware has more tests (and six or
> eight disk types) and if it doesn't recognise the disk, it won't play.
>  I once exchanged some email with the guy at DEC who wrote those
> routines so I have some what they do, but no details.
>
> The third method is to use ZRQCH? or ZRQCG? in the mode that asks all
> the relevant questions about geometry and disk type.  This only works
> for RQDX3s, but if you can work out what all the RCTs, ZBNs and other
> TLAs mean, and know how to work out all the numbers required, you can
> format anything and call it RDanything.  And later versions of DEC OSs
> will be perfectly happy.  The problem is knowing how to work out the
> answers.  I did it once, and Tim Shoppa (IIRC) has also done it, but as
> far as I know, the full information isn't published anywhere.  If you
> want to try this, I can look out my notes about the TLAs and how to
> work out the type numbers, and look up the manuals to see how to get
> ZRQC?? into the right mode (I recall that different versions were
> slighly different, if you see what I mean).
>
> --
> Pete Peter Turnbull
> Network Manager
> University of York

Received on Mon Mar 17 2003 - 21:23:00 GMT