Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!netsys!vector!chip From: chip@vector.UUCP (Chip Rosenthal) Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix Subject: Re: Adaptec controller/Miniscribe 6085? Message-ID: <569@vector.UUCP> Date: 24 Sep 88 18:32:26 GMT References: <3e9fa283.6bad@apollo.COM> Reply-To: chip@vector.UUCP (Chip Rosenthal) Organization: Dallas Semiconductor Lines: 59 In article <3e9fa283.6bad@apollo.COM> tyager@apollo.COM (Tom Yager) writes: >Has anyone tried the Miniscribe 6085 drive with an RLL controller? For the uninitiated, the Miniscribe 6000 series is: 6128 6079 6085 6053 6032 Formatted Capacity (MB) 110.1 68.8 71.3 44.6 26.7 Sectors Per Track 26 26 17 17 17 Heads 8 5 8 5 3 Cylinders 1024 1024 1024 1024 1024 Recording Method RLL RLL MFM MFM MFM A lot of people have told me about success running MFM drives with an RLL controller. I wouldn't do it. But then again, I'm one of those super paranoid types who won't accept an 80386-16 in a "20MHz" computer. >If it won't work, fine. Their RLL drive is the 6128 and >goes for about $900 with the Adaptec controller. Anyone >out there who has had experience with this combination? Yes. I've been bitching and moaning now for over a month about this. I am trying to run SCO XENIX 386 2.2 on an Everex Step 386/20 with a Miniscribe 6128 and an Adaptec ACB2372. I've been having all sorts of problems -- usually paging system panics but occasionally a general protection trap. My initial best guess was either a disk or memory problem. We ran Everex's memory diagnostics for two days. No problems found. We screwed around with the Adaptec strappings for a bit with no improvement. Specifically, we messed around with the J14 strap for wait states and the J12 straps for BIOS selection. We then swapped it out for a plain old WD 1:1 MFM controller. Problems went away. Monday, I'm going to take another shot using a WD RLL controller. If that works then I'll be in fat city. Three points to this rambling story: (1) Pathalias is the best diagnostic I've found to date. If a system is going to crash, this will do it. I prefer to get a couple of invocations going. I use multiple copies to avoid having the text segments shared. (2) Seeing that I don't have anything conclusive yet, I'd hate to condemn the Adaptec 2372. But, it looks really suspicious from where I'm sitting. (3) If I hear one more PC salesman say "but it works fine with DOS", I will probably kick him in the nuts. I realize the original poster asked for mailed responses, but I'd be interested in hearing from other folks with experience with the 2372. -- Chip Rosenthal chip@vector.UUCP | I've been a wizard since my childhood. Dallas Semiconductor 214-450-0486 | And I've earned some respect for my art.