22 Oct
2006
22 Oct
'06
8:44 a.m.
From: Dennis Boone <drb at msu.edu>
Esteemed DEC Wizards,
I'm trying to format a Seagate ST251-1 (40 MB MFM drive) connected
to an RQDX3 using ZRQCH0 from XXDP25. The formatter runs for over
two minutes, stepping the heads steadily, and announcing completion
of over 50,000 LBNs written. It seems to write all of the low level
format, then dies with this error:
ZRQC SYS FTL ERR 00007 ON UNIT 00 TST 01 SUB 000 PC: 105472
Controller has reported a fatal error in the format program
Status: FCT nonexistent
The drive was originally used with WD controllers on 486 class MS-DOS
machines.
How do I get an FCT onto the drive? Do I need to somehow wipe some
additional space on the drive to trick ZRQC into thinking this is a
raw drive, or something?
Thanks,
De
Hi
I had a similar problem on my Olivetti M20 to get it formatted. I had to
write
all zero's to the first two cylinders to get it to work, otherwise it
assumed
that any data there must be bad sector data.
Once I got it formatted, it had a relatively good test for bad sectors. The
bad sector information was easy to understand and if I'd have needed to add
any that the manufacture listed, it would have been easy.
My drive had no manufacture listed bad sectors but did show some from the
test. These were all the same sector on succesive cyclinders of the same
head. I suspect it may have been shipping damage. If the platters counter
rotate, even slightly, the heads cut into the surface :(
It would be great if people would always run a park program on disk before
shipping, even on drives like the st251 that are not suppose to need it.
I did have to write some assembly code for the Z8000 to get things working.
I had other issues as well but that was just getting a controller, not
designed
for the M20, to work with the M20.
Dwight
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