22 Nov
2007
22 Nov
'07
7:56 p.m.
Ian Primus wrote:
I've been attempting to get a MicroVax II set up
with
a working, large hard drive. I have an Emulex QD33
Qbus SMD controller, and I'm trying to get it to work
with a Seagate Sabre 9720-1230 hard drive. It's listed
as being compatible with this controller in the
manual.
After entering the
relevant settings (from the manual) for the hard
drive, the controller will sort-of talk to the drive.
It shows it as being available, but when I try to
format it, the drive makes a buzzing noise for about
30 seconds, then I get the message that "This
operation timed out". When I answer the error message
with the enter key, the buzzing from the drive stops.
Is it possible that the drive's head restraint is still
activated/in-place?
That'd certainly cause the buzzing, with the voicecoil positioner
attempting to move the head when it's locked in place. These big old
drives with rather massive head carriage assemblies always had some
means by which the head could be locked into a home position for
transportation purposes. Sometimes it was an actual screw that was put
in place to hold the head in place, or some kind of cam-activated
mechanism that would lock the head.
Just a thought...
Rick Bensene
The Old Calculator Web Museum
http://oldcalculatormuseum.com