My TU10 is hurting. - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

27 Jul 1999

...
 under rt11 5.00, it won't init a tape.  used to do
this w/ no problem. rt
returns "output error on mt0:"  The tape spins and tries to init, but
after going back and forth a number of times, it gives up.  So the
mechanism and control logic seems fine.  I've tried different tapes and
cleaned and degaussed the head. No change.  Jiggled all the cards in the
controller and device section to 'assure' a good connection.  Nothing.  I
even tried using an old copy of ROLLIN, just to see if it'd do a backup,
but it moved the reels and instantly gave a FATAL DEVICE ERROR on MT0. 
It's clear from the above that you can't do a tape write, but it's not
clear where the problem is because a write involves both the read and
write channels.  What happens when you try to read a known good tape?

If you know the problem is reading, it's straightforward to hook a
scope up to the read channel and trace the head signals through at
least to the formatter.  If you know the problem is writing, you trace
through from the formatter to the write heads.

-- 
 Tim Shoppa                        Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
 Trailing Edge Technology          WWW:   http://www.trailing-edge.com/
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