Format.dat for CDC9720-1230?

[Mike Fields]

In article <9892 at brazos.Rice.edu>, xait!mgb at cs.utexas.edu (Michael G. Burner) writes:

> Isn't the correct name of Xylogic's controller the "7053"?  Why do people
> insist on dropping the "0"?  Anyway, here is the entry you are looking for
> (with a sample partition table):
> 
> disk_type = "CDC 9720-1230" \
>         : ctlr = XD7053 \
>         : ncyl = 1633 : acyl = 2 : pcyl = 1635 : nhead = 15 : nsect = 83 \
>         : rpm = 3600 : bpt = 50400 : bps = 600
> 
> partition = "CDC 9720-1230" \
>         : disk = "CDC 9720-1230" : ctlr = XD7053 \
>         : a = 0, 8715 : b = 7, 33615 : c = 0, 2033085 : d = 34, 978570 \
>         : f = 7, 1012185 : g = 817, 1012185

Be aware that there are 2 xylogics 7053 controllers.  They are known as
the -105 and -106.  Sun only sells the 105 (from what I have been able to
find out).  The 106 is a faster controller.  The 105 seems to work fine
UNLESS you have to format the drive.  When I did that, (I had a new drive
with a bunch of hard errors), It was almost impossible to get the drive to
pass surface analysis without finding big blocks of errors (which always
started on a track with a known defect) and would show up somewhere else
if you tried to format again.  The 106 is fast enough to handle these
problems (it took me two days of trying to get format to take!).  A 105
can be upgraded to a 106 for approx/ $500.  You need to talk to xylogics
to find a vendor you can go back thru if you are using a PO.  I think you
can go direct to xylogics if you send check/cash.  Call them and make
sure.  You can tell what controller you have by a sticker on the back of
the controller board.  It only took me a week to find out that there were
two versions of the controller!

=======================================================   Mike Fields
uw-beaver!ssc-vax!shuksan!mikey  (206) 657-6136 [work]    12022 NE 138th Pl.
                                 (206) 821-3492 [home]    Kirkland, Wa. 98034