6 Aug
2007
6 Aug
'07
5:48 p.m.
At 06:34 PM 8/6/2007, Zane H. Healy wrote:
really
That's correct, the FS diags can format unformatted drives. I have one
of those tapes as well as a set of FS diagnostic floppy disks (RX50s.)
However, they'll only work with DEC-equivalent drives on DEC
controllers. XT2190s (RD54s) aren't cheap, they're noisy as hell, and
aren't very big. The RD53s are junk and even smaller. (I had several
that wouldn't spin up, no evidence of the widely reported sticky rubber
bumper. Removing the bumper didn't fix the drives.)
As several people have pointed out, you're far better off with non-DEC
storage controllers and devices.
-Rick
I have heard tales of a magical diagnostic tape that
exists for these machines.
Tales they are ;-)
With the diagnostic tape, you can format formatted drives. If you like to format a MFM disk for a VAX, use a pdp11
with XXDP, or a
microVAX 2000.
Remember there are two different types of Diag tapes, one is the Customer
Tape, the other is the FE Tape. ISTR that the FE tape can format
unformatted drives.