#A2000 / DEC RZ24L HD
9 messages in this thread
I need some help with Amiga HDToolBox (WB2.04) and a DEC RZ24L hard disk. The
disk is a standard 220Mb hard disk that I've bought from my works second hand.
It *looks* the same as the 105Mb Quantum disk that I've got. I've installed it
into my A2000 , run HDToolBox , and asked HDToolBox to read the configuration
from the drive. The manufacturer's info. has been read ok. but HDTB then tells
me that it can't determine the drive size !
I then enter manually the figures for blocks/track , tracks/cyl. etc but when I
ask HDTB to write the info. to the disk I get a
error 45 on write HELP! Does anyone know what this error is
and why I can't read the config. from the disk ???????
Le.
Do you know if the drive was used on ( VAX, Alpha, PC ) ?
If it was used on a VAX, the problem is drive spin-up. When disk
drives spin-up they take a lot of current. This causes problems with
power supplies when many drives spin-up at one time. To solve this
problem, drives were set not to spin up on power up. They wait for a
SCSI spin up command. The O/S spins each drive in sequence. The RZ24L
has a EEPROM that holds the setting. If you have access to a VAX or
IBM compatible PC I have programs that can reprogram the drive to
spin up or just stop by the plant.
Steve Peters
Digital Equipment Corp
Storage Systems Eng.
Shrewsbury MA
Thanks for the response. The RZ24L was used on a MicroVax 3100/10 which we have
replaced with a 3100/80 (nice m/c) using 1Gb disks. Two SCSI disks a RZ24L and
a RZ55 were bought by me for my A2000. According to the Quantum 100Mb
documentation, there is a jumper on the drive to control the power up. Is this
also true on the RZ disks? I have access to both a VAX (3100/80 and a 3100/10)
and a PC (although on second thoughts, the PC only has IDE so I'll forget that
!) so any solution along that road would be fine. Thanks again.
Le
I'll check with the disk support group. The new RZ drives use software
setup ( EEPROM ). The RZ24L may have a jumper. I suggest you try it. If
it works great. If not I'll find the right program.
Steve P.
Thanks – however I have tried the jumper and I still get
error 45 on write from the HDToolBox on the A2000. # One further
question – do you have the correct values for blocks/track , tracks/cylinder ,
and cylinders/device for the RZ24L?? The values I tried were pure guesses ( and
therefore probably very wrong!) Thanks again
Le
I'm not quite sure how you'll read this – whether you'll see this before the
other reply or see my other reply first. However, I have discovered that there
is a jumper over and above the Quantum LP105S which is marked SS. I've no idea
what it's for, but thinking I had nothing to lose, I set the jumper. Hey
Presto, the drive works flawlessly !!!!! So it appears that it is unset for the
VAX but needs to be set for the Amiga I'm now so intrigued as to its
function……. The question re. the drive config. has also been answered since
the Amiga read the config. from the drive. Thanks very much for your time and
effort.
Le
Leroy, have you checked the drive termination? Make sure the terminators
are in place, as their absence can cause flakey operation.
DJ
Yes , I have checked the termination. Since Thursday I've also taken the drive
out of the A2000 and checked it more carefully. I've found that there is an
extra jumper over and above the Quantum LP105S. It's marked SS – I've no idea
what it's for, but setting this jumper has caused all problems to disappear.
HDToolBox now works flawlessly and even read the complete config. from the
disk!! Thanks for the reply DJ
Le
Glad it's rolling.
DJ