[Info-vax] HP Surestore DAT24 firmware download?

[John Wallace]

On Nov 16, 6:43 pm, smithfarm <presnyprek... at gmail.com> wrote:
> > You could be more confident if you also had another known good drive
> > on which to check the tape had been properly written. But afaik DAT
> > drives do not do their own "read after write" so it *may* be erroneous
> > to conclude that the data is written OK when you've not checked it
> > elsewhere.
>
> Agreed.
>
> > Do you have (or can you get) any tapes with known good data which you
> > can attempt to read on the drive under test? That would give you more
> > information on whether the drive could read a tape or not.
>
> I don't have any known-good tapes at this time. Conceivably I could make
> one using the TLZ07L.
>
> I don't think it's a termination problem, since the cable I'm using
> (internal HD68) has a terminator crimped on the end. The terminator says
> "FOXCONN NEGATION TERMINATOR". I have the drive set to provide "term
> power".
>
> One time it actually did read back a file without any errors. That was
> on Linux with a modern LSI PCI-e controller.
>
> I just tried it on the rx2600 (OpenVMS v8.4) and I got the following
> errors on the verification pass:
>
> $ dir hp*.*
>
> Directory DQA0:[FIREFOX_I64020.KIT]
>
> HP-I64VMS-FIREFOX-V0200-18-1.PCSI_SFX_I64EXE;1
>
> Total of 1 file.
> $ backup/verify/log hp*.* mkb200:hp.bck/label=dly101
> %MOUNT-I-MOUNTED, DLY101 mounted on _NIKKI$MKB200:
> %BACKUP-S-COPIED, copied
> DQA0:[FIREFOX_I64020.KIT]HP-I64VMS-FIREFOX-V0200-18-1.P
> CSI_SFX_I64EXE;1
> %BACKUP-I-STARTVERIFY, starting verification pass at 16-NOV-2010
> 18:59:59.33
> %BACKUP-E-READERR, error reading MKB200:[]HP.BCK;
> -BACKUP-E-BLOCKCRC, software block CRC error
> %BACKUP-E-VERIFYERR, verification error for block 151 of
> DQA0:[FIREFOX_I64020.KI
> T]HP-I64VMS-FIREFOX-V0200-18-1.PCSI_SFX_I64EXE;1
> %BACKUP-F-POSITERR, error positioning MKB200:[]HP.BCK;
> -SYSTEM-F-PARITY, parity error
> $
>
> As for Michael's suggestions (for which I am grateful):
>
> o Did you check if the drive's dip switches are in the positions
>    recommended for your OS (I told you already)?
>
> Yes. The dip switches are in the recommended position.
>
> o Apply a cleaning cartridge twice or thrice.
>
> Yes. (10 times, actually)
>
> o Try different tape media.
>
> So far, I have tried two brand-new DDS3 tapes. These produce a comedy of
> errors. I just tried a DDS2 tape on the rx2600 - same errors.
>
> o Check proper termination at the "outer" end of
>    your SCSI bus (no termination stuff at the drive itself
>    is necessary)
>
> Got the crimped-on Foxconn negation terminator on the end.
>
> o check if your 50-68 adapter is appropriate,
>    iirc when going from "wide" (that's presumably what
>    your controller is) to "narrow" (your drive) it must
>    terminate the "upper 8 bits".
>
> This is a question mark. But on the Linux box I configured the device as
> 8-bit and set termination to Auto. When I did this I was able to run one
> single backup (640 MB) and read it back correctly. But then I ran a
> smaller backup and it failed and after that all attempts were fails.
>
>    You may also consider getting an 68-pin DDS-4 instead.
>
> I am bidding on one now.
>
> o Consider the possibility that your drive is simply broken.
>    When I purchase cheap used DDS drives I'm prepared to
>    trash about half of them immediately.
>
> I am giving this thought serious consideration. I got this drive for
> cheap. The guy who sold it to me said it just sat in a server, unused,
> for 2 or 3 years. It may be very dusty inside. Maybe I just need to keep
> trying and run the head-cleaner tape multiple times and it will clear up?
>
> o Contact your HP representative for a copy of their brochure:
>    "Success with DDS Media", HP Part No. C1500-90911 June 1993
>
> As soon as HP designates a representative for hobbyists, I will do that.
>
> Thanks, as always.
>
> Nathan

Have you had a look inside the drive? In days gone by, a cotton swab
moistened with isopropyl alcohol or similar used to be recommended to
clean tape drives. It often is NOT recommended for modern drives but
what have you got to lose?

While looking for details of cleaning procedures just now, I found a
35-page vintage-1996 35 PDF titled "DAT Troubleshooting Guide" at:
http://www.dectrader.com/docs/set2/TURBO_DAT_TROUBLESHOOTING_GUIDE.pdf

It looks like a Compaq rather than DEC manual, the drives it refers to
don't include Sony, the applications it references are PC-centric
(Backup Exec etc), but you never know, some of the info might be
transferable.

There seems to be quite a lot of detail in here, including the meaning
of some of the sense codes which the drive may return on error
(hopefully these aren't vendor-specific, but...).

[I've got a DAT drive on a shelf gathering dust somewhere and would
one day like it to work again, hence my interest]