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From: wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: ST238 problems (again)
Message-ID: <615@neoucom.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 4-Jul-87 13:51:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: neoucom.615
Posted: Sat Jul  4 13:51:05 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Jul-87 07:38:30 EDT
References: <216700012@orstcs>
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Lines: 36
Summary: Problem is with Adaptec Control Cards


In our building, we have a number of ST-238s running in RLL mode.
Several different types of controller cards are in use.  We had a
few minor problems with an early model of the Adaptec 1070 (I hope
that's the correct model #) RLL controller.  We've used the Western
Digital and SMS/OMTI controllers without incident.

It's my understanding that some Adaptec controllers made before
10-1987 caused overhaeating (how it could, I'm not sure) in some
seagate drives.  This caused seek errors. As evidenced by "Error:
sector not found reading drive C" or some similar nonsense from
DOS.  My suspicion is that the Apaptec 1070 keeps the coils of the
head stepper motor energized all the time, and shouldn't.  That
would cause excessive heating.

If you have an old Adaptec card, it's my understanding that you can
get an upgrade kit, that you presumably can install your self.
I'd call Adaptec directly, rather than fooling around with the
dealer where you got your drive.

It's possible that turbo CPU coprocessor cards could be causing bus
contention by using the same DMA channel as the disk controller.
Try low level format, fdisk, format and boot without the trubo CPU.
Call the turbo board maker for details if you localize the problem
there.

I've been Using an ST-238 with an SMS/OMTI controller in an 8 MHz
AT&T 6300 and NEC (not Zilog) V-30 CPU chip at home since January,
and haven't encountered any problems (Yet!!).  I used an interleaf
factor of three, but I'm not sure if that is optimal.

Bill Mayhew
Division of Basic Medical Sciences
Northeastern Ohio Universities' College of Medicine
Rootstown, OH  44272-9989  USA    phone:  216-325-2511
(wtm@neoucom.UUCP)