On 8/16/2015 9:00 AM, Michael Thompson wrote:
We did a lot more debugging on the TC12 LINCtape
controller.
We saw a 500ns glitch in the LMU MOTION signal that corresponded to a short
slowdown in tape speed. We will investigate this next week.
We entered the LINC instruction to check a single block (0707) in the left
switches and a block number (0777-0000) in the right switches. When we
pressed the DO key it should go to that block on the LINCtape. With large
block numbers (07xx) and with the tape positioned half way through the tape
it worked OK. With lower block numbers it sometimes could not find the
block and searched back-and-forth on the tape. The logic analyzer showed
that the block numbers were correct in a sequence of several blocks, and
then it will read a bad block number. The TC12 would tell the TU55 to turn
around, it would read a good block number, realize that it was going the
wrong direction, and turn the tape around. It would then read a good block
number, and then a bad block number, and turn around.
Just a gut hunch, based on the symptoms. Could you have a bit pick or
drop in the block number in the TC12? Given the behavior, one might bet
on a bit pick. Perhaps intermittent.
Second gut hunch is that it would be hard to see how the drive could
cause this UNLESS the TC12 uses one side of the redundant tape channels
in one direction, and the other side in the other direction.
Will be interesting to hear what you really find.
JRJ