[SunRescue] Re: Hard drive testing

[BSDBobtheoldgreybeardBSDfreakbobkeys at weedcon1.cropsci.ncsu.edu]

> I second the vaxstation 3100 for scsi problems recommendation. It
> has always been very reliable for me. I also put all my removable
> media scsi devices that give me problems on the vaxstation. I'm
> not sure why, but I've had better luck with tape drives on that
> machine than anywhere else. (My exabyte 8mm was "made for IBM" so
> of course there's something weird about it and it won't play nice
> with my suns. The vax talks to it though. Weird.)

Someone once said, ``All the worlds a VAX'' in some sort of connotation.
I second the motion to the extent that yes, most anything will hook up
to that VAXstation 3100 and play.  The rom scsi formatter is probably
the best trick, however, since, if it works, it will restore anything
it can format.... best kept secret for old dead scsi drives that others
throw away....(:+}}...

> However - the scsi controller on the vaxstation 3100s is actually
> an optional daughter card. There are diskless machines out there
> that don't have it.

You are right.  But, out of the dozen or so I have rescued from MooU
surplus over the past couple of years, all had the daughter cards
except one, which had the old MFM card.  That one was an early, early
VS3100 with the rounded floppy cutout port.  Still, it formats the
scsi fine, since the mfm card has a scsi port out the back just like
the rest of them.  Just don't lose that funky 100 pin loop jumper cable,
or the scsi is lost.

Bob