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Text File | 1990-12-07 | 84.3 KB | 2,570 lines

T E S T D R I V E (tm) A Comprehensive Floppy Disk Drive Diagnostic Tool OPERATOR'S MANUAL Version 1.4 MicroSystems Development 4100 Moorpark Ave. #104 San Jose, CA 95117 USA (408) 296-4000 Fax(408)296-5877 Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. All Rights Reserved TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION............................................1 II. WARRANTY................................................3 III. COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK INFORMATION.....................3 IV. ORDERING INFORMATION....................................4 V. BASIC DISK INFORMATION..................................5 VI. OPERATION...............................................7 F1 General Test.......................................8 A) Sample display for a good drive.................9 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................10 F2 Alignment Test....................................11 A) Sample display for a good drive................13 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................14 F3 Spindle Speed.....................................15 A) Sample display for a good drive................16 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................16 F4 Write / Read Test.................................17 A) Sample display for a good drive................18 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................19 F5 Hysteresis Test...................................20 A) Sample display for a good drive................21 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................22 F6 Head Azimuth Test.................................23 A) Sample display for a good drive................24 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................25 F7 Hub Centering.....................................26 A) Sample display for a good drive................27 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................28 F8 Continuous Alignment..............................29 A) Sample display for a good drive................30 B) Sample display for a bad drive.................31 F9 Cleaning Utility..................................32 F10 Program Information...............................33 GLOSSARY OF TERMS...........................................34 CUSTOMER FEEDBACK FORM......................................37 Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. i TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 I. INTRODUCTION Floppy disk drives are your computer's lifeline. They provide the easiest and in many cases the only method of transferring data from one computer to another. It is extremely important that your computer's disk drives be operating at peak performance at all times. TEST DRIVE is a comprehensive floppy disk drive diagnostic tool. It accurately measures and displays important operating parameters, so that the exact operating condition of a drive can be determined. In addition, this manual will help in understanding the basics of disk operation, will help to analyze the test results, and recommend corrective procedures. Have you ever gotten the dreaded "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" message when using a disk you thought was good? TEST DRIVE will let you know if your drive is functioning properly. Have you ever had problems in transferring files on disk between different computers? Perhaps one computer can reliably read and write to a diskette, but that same diskette will not work in another computer? TEST DRIVE will pinpoint the problem. Have you ever experienced unexplainable data loss on diskettes? Perhaps a backup disk that your computer generated months ago will no longer work in your computer? Periodic testing with TEST DRIVE will help avoid this problem. Do you need to be absolutely sure that the diskettes your disk drive writes to can be read by another computer? TEST DRIVE will confirm proper operation of your drive. Have you ever had repairs made only to have the same or new problems occur? TEST DRIVE will keep the technician honest by reporting and quantifying the drive's performance, before and after repair. Want to dig in and make adjustments yourself? TEST DRIVE provides continuous tests which can be run on your computer while adjustments are made. Ever wonder if you should be cleaning your drives, and if so, how often? TEST DRIVE will indicate when cleaning may be necessary. In addition, TEST DRIVE provides a helpful utility to be used with a standard cleaning disk. Does cleaning really help? TEST DRIVE can measure your drive's performance before and after cleaning to determine if the cleaning has been helpful. How important is the diskette media? Bulk purchased generic disks are generally tested to a lesser extent that the more expensive name brands. In general, the generics are tested for Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 1 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 media defects only where a perfectly aligned drive would read and write. If your drive's alignment is off, the probability of a data loss using an inferior disk is greatly increased. In addition, as drive densities continue to increase, data is packed closer and closer together on the magnetic media. This makes precise operation of your drive even more crucial. The TEST DRIVE disk drive diagnostic package consists of the TEST DRIVE program disk and an Dysan Digital Diagnostic Disk (DDD). The program diskette contains the following files: testdriv.com - Executable program testdriv.doc - This documentation To use the full capabilities of TEST DRIVE you will need the Dysan precision alignment disk manufactured by Dysan Corporation, available for sale from MicroSystems Development (see ordering information). The Dysan Digital Diagnostic Disk (DDD) is a test disk with data written at precise distances and angles along the tracks. TEST DRIVE will analyze the disk drive's ability to read the specialized data patterns contained on the DDD. Some of TEST DRIVE's tests require the use of the DDD, some do not. Together, these two disks allow you, the user, to perform comprehensive diagnostic tests, and perform certain adjustments on floppy disk drives. The use of expensive and special test equipment, oscilloscopes, etc., is unnecessary. The following tests are performed by TEST DRIVE: * General Test * Alignment Test Spindle Speed Write/Read Test * Hysteresis Test * Head Azimuth Test * Hub Centering * Continuous Alignment * These tests require the Cleaning Utility Dysan diagnostic disk This version of TEST DRIVE will test 5 1/4" (360KB or less) disk drives. A complete program capable of testing 1.2MB, 720KB and 1.44MB is available, please see order form. System Requirements: IBM PC/XT/AT or Compatible 64K RAM DOS 2.0 or greater An 80 column monitor (Color or Monochrome) One working disk drive that can load the program. Once loaded, TEST DRIVE can later be run from a hard disk. In fact, this is recommended for periodic testing to insure your drives are in proper operating condition. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 2 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 II. WARRANTY MicroSystems Development makes no warranty of any kind, express or implied, including without limitation, any warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for any specific application or use. MicroSystems Development shall not be liable for ANY loss or damage arising from a failure of this program to operate in the manner described, or in a manner desired by the user. MicroSystems Development shall not be liable for any damage to data or property which may be caused directly or indirectly by use of the program. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT OR IT'S SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, LOSS OF USE OF ANY PRODUCT, SERVICE OR REPLACEMENT COSTS, OR CLAIMS BY ANY THIRD PARTY. III. COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK INFORMATION This version of TEST DRIVE may be copied and distributed freely, with the following restrictions: 1) The program and documentation may not be modified, 2) The entire documentation file must be included with the program, 3) No fee for the program may be charged outside of a reasonable and customary charge for diskette media, copying and/or shipping, and 4) It may not be packaged or sold in conjuction with any other product. The software code and screen displays used in TEST DRIVE are the sole property of MicroSystems Development, and may not be copied, in any form, in whole or in part, or included in any other program or document without the express written permission of MicroSystems Development. If you'd like to make use of the full capabilities of TEST DRIVE, you are encouraged to purchase the Dysan Diagnostic Disk directly from us (see ordering information). This will help support our effort, make you a registered user, and ensure that you are kept up to date on new versions and enhancements. Digital Diagnostic Diskette (DDD) is a trademark of Dysan. IBM, IBM PC, IBM XT and IBM AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. TEST DRIVE is a trademark of MicroSystems Development. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 3 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 IV. ORDERING INFORMATION TEST DRIVE ORDER FORM ____ Latest version of TEST DRIVE, printed manual, binder, and Registration................US$49.00 ea _______ ____ Dysan Digital Diagnostic Disk...........UD$56.00 ea _______ Circle format: 360K 1.2M 720K/1.44M (All three $156.00) Note: Shareware version tests only 360K format, latest version will test all formats, providing appropriate DDD is used. Subtotal..............._______ Calif. residents appropriate sales tax..............._______ Shipping charges. $3.00 within the continental USA, $8.00 outside the continental USA..............._______ TOTAL...............$_________ ______ Enclosed is a check for the above amount. ______ Please charge the above amount to my: Visa( ) MC( ) Account number:__________________________________Exp._____ Cardholder signature:_____________________________________ Purchase orders are accepted from qualified corporations. Please call first for approval. Name: _____________________________________________ Company: _____________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Phone: (________) __________________________________ Remit to: MicroSystems Development 4100 Moorpark Ave. #104 San Jose, CA 95117 USA Fax (408)296-5877 Phone: (408) 296-4000 10 AM to 4 PM Pacific Time. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 4 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 V. BASIC DISK INFORMATION It is not necessary to have a degree in computer engineering to use or benefit from TEST DRIVE. However, a basic understanding of disk operation is helpful in identifying problems. This section is meant to introduce you to basic disk operation and terminology. Diskette density specifies the amount of data the disk is capable of holding. Densities are measured in kilobytes (KB) or megabytes (MB). A kilobyte is 1024 bytes and a megabyte is 1000 kilobytes. Information is written on a floppy disk magnetically, in much the same way as audio information is stored on cassettes or reel to reel tapes. The disk is rotating so data is written in circles around the disk. These circles are called tracks. Each track is divided into a number of sectors. Each sector contains addressing marks, a fixed amount of data, and a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) for the data. The CRC is an integrity check on the data. To retrieve data, the disk drive controller must position the head over the desired track and wait for the correct sector address to come around. Once the sector is found, the disk controller reads the information from the sector and stores it in a buffer. Then the CRC is computed and compared to the CRC read from the disk. If this does not compare an error is reported. A write operation occurs in much the same manner except that the CRC is computed and stored with the data and no verification is performed. One indicator of disk density is the TPI specification. This stands for Tracks Per Inch. In a 48TPI disk the tracks are spaced 1/48 of an inch apart. Since a 360K diskette has 40 tracks, the width of the media containing data is somewhat less than an inch. A 96 TPI diskette usually contains 80 tracks or double the 40 tracks of a 360K. This would tend to make us think that the density would be 720K, and this is true for the 3 1/2 inch technology. But the high density 5 1/4 inch standard has 15 sectors per track instead of the 9 on a 360 KB disk. This makes 1.2 MB (see table below). It seems that as the technology becomes available to store more information on a disk, someone will. However, the basics for data storage and retrieval is relative constant no matter what the density is. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 5 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A 360KB diskette is formatted with 40 tracks, 9 sectors per track, on both sides. 512 bytes are written in each sector. Total 40 tracks 9 sectors 2 sides 512 bytes bytes = ------ X ------- X X ------ side track sector OR Total bytes = 368,640 This is usually abbreviated to 360 KB, which is 360 x 1024 bytes. The computer's operating system normally uses a few sectors for overhead such as label and directory information. This is why there are slightly less than 368,640 usable bytes on a formatted disk. The address marks and CRC are stored between the data and are not included in the formatted capacity of a disk. The following table illustrates the storage specifications for the most commonly used disk densities: Storage Physical Sectors Bytes Tracks Number Size Size per Track per Sector per Side of Sides ---------------------------------------------------------------- 160 KB 5 1/4" 8 512 40 1 180 KB 5 1/4" 9 512 40 1 320 KB 5 1/4" 8 512 40 2 360 KB 5 1/4" 9 512 40 2 1.2 MB 5 1/4" 15 512 80 2 720 KB 3 1/2" 9 512 80 2 1.44 MB 3 1/2" 18 512 80 2 This version of TEST DRIVE is designed to test 360 KB drives. It will also test the first 3 types, however. Since the first 2 types (160 and 180 KB) have only 1 head in the disk drive, TEST DRIVE will report errors for Head 1, but the Head 0 results are correct. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 6 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 VI. OPERATION To operate, first load the operating system, then type 'testdriv', followed by the enter key. After the opening screen appears, press any key to proceed to the main menu. You will see a list of available selections. The number of drive selections you see is dependent on the number of drives available in your system. To make a selection, press the key indicated to the left of the selection, or highlight your choice by using the up and down arrows, then press enter. Some tests require the use of the Dysan DDD. The speed test will work with any standard formatted diskette OR the DDD. The Write/Read test will only work a normal diskette, not the DDD. TEST DRIVE always checks for the type of diskette inserted. Data is never written to the DDD. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 7 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F1 General Test In this test, six areas of drive performance are displayed and measured, with Pass / Fail results given for each. The measured results are also displayed, along with the criteria used for Pass / Fail determination. For more detailed information on each of the tests, see the appropriate section describing that particular test in detail. The TEST DRIVE general test is a good overall test which should usually be run first to determine if there are any problem areas. You encouraged to read the rest of this document for a detailed description of each test. Display Information: Alignment and Sensitivity are combined in the first part of the test. Three tracks for each head are measured. The drive will pass the test if it can read data written at least +/- 8 milli-inches from the track centerline. Some manufacturers specify +/- 9 milli-inches as passing criteria. The next part of the test measures the drive's ability to precisely seek to a specified track from either direction. This is called hysteresis. Only one track is used for this test. If the hysteresis is less than or equal to 1.5, it passes. Next, the spindle speed is measured. For a 360KB disk drive, the speed must be between 295 and 305 RPM. Some manufacturers specify a smaller range. Hub centering is the next test. The alternate offset track which has data written at +/- 8 milli-inches offset around the track is used for this part of the test. No errors allowed for the drive to pass. The last test in the general test is Head Azimuth. If the drive can read data placed on the disk at an angle of +/- 39 minutes of a degree from centerline, it is considered good. The Pass / Fail criteria used in the General Test is in accordance with generally accepted standards. However, different manufacturers, equipment, testing labs, etc., may use different criteria. The criteria used in TEST DRIVE are not meant to imply absolute minimums or maximums, but were simply chosen to help interpret the data. In all cases, the measured data is also displayed for the user's own interpretation. In addition, the measured data displayed for the General Test, as well as the other tests may vary slightly each time they are run. This is because the tests push the drive past its normal operating points, and operation outside the normal ranges may not be consistent. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 8 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample display for a good drive TEST DRIVE General Test Criteria Test Result -------- --------- -------- Alignment / Track 0 Head 0 +/- 8 +10 -10 Pass Sensitivity Track 0 Head 1 +/- 8 +11 -10 Pass Track 19 Head 0 +/- 8 +10 -10 Pass Track 19 Head 1 +/- 8 +10 - 9 Pass Track 39 Head 0 +/- 8 +12 -10 Pass Track 39 Head 1 +/- 8 + 8 - 9 Pass Hysteresis Track 19 Head 0 1.5 0.5 Pass Spindle Speed . . . . . . . . 295 - 305 301 Pass Hub Centering . . . . Head 0 0 Errors 0 Errors Pass Head Azimuth . . . . Head 0 +/- 39' +42 -42 Pass Head 1 +/- 39' +42 -42 Pass Analysis: The above drive has passed all the tests, and the drive appears to be in good condition. Alignment - the drive was able to read data 8 milli-inches or greater from the track centerline. Hysteresis - is less than 1.5. Spindle Speed - is in the acceptable range at 301 RPM. Hub Centering - no errors were detected. Head Azimuth - both heads were able to read data angled at 39 minutes of a degree or greater. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 9 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 B) Sample display for a bad drive TEST DRIVE General Test Criteria Test Result -------- --------- -------- Alignment / Track 0 Head 0 +/- 8 + 6 -12 Fail Sensitivity Track 0 Head 1 +/- 8 +11 -10 Pass Track 19 Head 0 +/- 8 + 7 -11 Fail Track 19 Head 1 +/- 8 +11 - 9 Pass Track 39 Head 0 +/- 8 + 6 -11 Fail Track 39 Head 1 +/- 8 + 8 - 9 Pass Hysteresis Track 19 Head 0 1.5 2.0 Fail Spindle Speed . . . . . . . . 295 - 305 309 Fail Hub Centering . . . . Head 0 0 Errors 2 Errors Fail Head Azimuth . . . . Head 0 +/- 39' +42 -42 Pass Head 1 +/- 39' +42 -21 Fail Analysis: In the above example, Head 0 is poorly aligned. It is shifted slightly away from the spindle as indicated by the high negative values and low positive values. The above drive has also failed the hysteresis test indicating a possible problem with the positioning mechanism. The TEST DRIVE General Test indicates that the spindle speed is too high. Hub centering has also failed indicating a possible clamping problem. It was not able to read some of the data written at 8 milli-inches from track center. Head 1 is also rotated slightly in one direction. It cannot read data written in a position greater than 21 minutes of a degree from track centerline. For all the above problem areas, each individual test should be run in full to determine the extent of each problem. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 10 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F2 Alignment Test Alignment is a measure of how centered the read/write head is over the track center. This is sometimes called Radial Alignment. For a 48TPI disk, each track is 1/48 inch wide which is 20.833 milli-inches. Data on the progressive offset tracks of the DDD are progressively displaced from 6 to 13 milli-inches toward and away from the spindle. Therefore, data will span 26 milli-inches which is slightly wider than a 48 TPI track. The tracks adjacent to the progressive offset track of the DDD are not used. Sensitivity is a measure of how much data on a given track is readable, or the width to which the head is sensitive to. If a head is able to read data from +10 to -10 milli-inches on a 20 milli-inch track, you have a drive performing very well. If the same drive read +13 to -7, we still have perfect sensitivity but the alignment is now shifted. The successful reading of data greater than +/- 10 milli- inches will cover the entire track. If a disk drive is able to read data that is progressively offset to +8 and only to -7, the drive is slightly mis-aligned and suffers from poor alignment sensitivity. A drive that will read -11 to +8 milli-inches, shows good sensitivity but is poorly aligned. In the latter case, the drive will likely function reliably until the head becomes dirty and the sensitivity decreases. The alignment test will push the drive's operation beyond normal limits and report back the results, You will certainly see errors in this test simply because the drive is not supposed to read data placed beyond the normal track width. Display Information: The alignment test uses all of the progressive offset tracks available on the Dysan Digital Diagnostic test. These are tracks 0, 5, 16, 19, 30, and 39. It attempts to read all the data on the tracks, from 6 to 13 milli-inches off center in either direction. If the read was successful, it will display four solid characters, represented in this document as '~~~~'. If the read was not successful, it will display 'erxx', where xx is the hex error code returned by the BIOS read routine. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 11 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 The following is a list of errors than can be reported: ERROR ERROR CODE TYPE REASON ---- ------------------ --------------------------------- er80 time_out Drive did not respond er40 bad_seek Drive failed to seek to track er20 bad_nec Drive controller chip failed * er10 bad_crc Cyclic redundancy check failed er09 dma_boundary Attempt to direct memory across 640K boundary er08 bad_dma DMA overrun on operation er06 media_change media not identified on multiple media drive * er04 record_not_found sector not found * er02 bad_addr_mark address mark not found * Commonly induced errors in alignment test. Adjustments for poor Alignment Sensitivity: Poor alignment sensitivity indicates that the heads are not picking up as much data as they should. This could be due in part to a build up of dirt on the heads. The correction for this to simply clean the heads. If the problem is a dirty head, cleaning will eventually correct the problem. Cleaning, however, generally will not have a drastic effect. If the problem persists, it may be necessary to replace the drive since replacing the head assembly usually is not done economically. Adjustments for poor Alignment: Most drives come equipped with an adjustment screw which will translate a turning motion into a linear head adjustment. Since drives are becoming so inexpensive however, manufacturers are saving costs by eliminating expendable mechanisms such as alignment hardware. It is more cost effective for the manufacturer to set the alignment once, than it is to provide adjustment screws. If your drive has such an adjustment, we suggest you use the Continuous Alignment Test if you wish to make adjustments. Please see the explanation of that test for more information. If the alignment is just slightly off, we recommend that you leave it alone, and monitor its condition with TEST DRIVE. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 12 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample display for a good drive TEST DRIVE Alignment Test <------------------------ Track -------------------------> 39 30 19 16 5 0 0 5 16 19 30 39 - 13 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er04 er10 er04 - 12 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 - 11 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 - 10 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ er02 er02 - 9 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ er02 - 8 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ - 7 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ - 6 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ Head 0 Head 1 + 6 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 7 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 8 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 9 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 10 er02 er02 er02 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ er02 + 11 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 + 12 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 + 13 er02 er04 er04 er04 er04 er04 er04 er04 er02 er02 er04 er02 Analysis: This drive is in good shape, the '~~~~' pattern is symmetrical between the + and - readings. This indicates very good alignment. This test also indicates the sensitivity of the head. For the most part, the heads are sensitive to data from - 10 to +10 milli-inches or a total of 20 milli-inches. On track 39 of head 1, the head is sensitive only from -8 to +9 milli- inches or 17 milli-inches. Since these tracks on the diskette are 20 milli-inches wide, this drive is performing well. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 13 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 C) Sample display for a bad drive TEST DRIVE Alignment Test <------------------------ Track -------------------------> 39 30 19 16 5 0 0 5 16 19 30 39 - 13 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er10 er04 er10 er10 er04 - 12 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er04 er04 er02 er02 er02 - 11 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er04 er02 er02 er02 er02 - 10 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 - 9 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 - 8 er02 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 - 7 er02 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ er02 er02 er02 er02 - 6 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ er02 er02 er02 Head 0 Head 1 + 6 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 7 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 8 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 9 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 10 er02 er02 er02 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 11 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ + 12 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 er02 + 13 er02 er04 er04 er04 er04 er04 er04 er04 er02 er02 er04 er02 Analysis: This drive shows problems in both alignment and possibly in sensitivity as well. The alignment pattern shows a shift of the successful read operations toward the positive side. This indicates that the physical positioning of the head is shifted off the center of the track. This problem could be remedied by adjusting the head positioning to make the pattern symmetrical. For most of the disk the total sensitivity reads about +10 to -7 or 17 milli-inches of read sensitivity. However, head 1 cannot even read data at -6 milli-inches on tracks 19, 30 and 39. In this case, the sensitivity cannot be determined until the alignment is corrected. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 14 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F3 Spindle Speed This test measures the speed at which the diskette rotates in the drive. It can use either the Dysan DDD or a standard formatted diskette. If an error occurs when the test starts, the user is given the opportunity to override by pressing 'O'. If errors still occur, speed will be displayed as '---'. Speed is measured by the time it takes for the diskette to rotate from a given sector back around to the same sector. This time is then converted to revolutions per minute, or RPM. The acceptable range is 295 to 305 RPM. A drive can operate outside this range and cause no apparent problems, but it should be adjusted to be within range. Otherwise, it may be difficult to interchange data written by it with another drive. Other types of drives operate at different speeds as follows: high density 5 1/4" 355 to 365 RPM 3 1/2" 295 to 305 RPM Display Information: The test will run for several trials, continually updating the speed and the pointer on the display. It then stops in order to save wear on the disk. If you wish to run it continuously, press "C". Any other key will return you to the main menu. If you select "C" for continuous testing, the test will not stop until you press another key. Adjustment: On most drives,there is a small screw adjustment for spindle speed. This adjustment can be made while this test is running, and TEST DRIVE will continually update the display accordingly. If the speed is adjusted too far out of range so that the program can no longer read any data, TEST DRIVE will report '---'. If the speed varies erratically, say 4 RPM or more, the problem could be a loose or bad drive belt. In many cases, replacement of the belt will help or cure the problem. Some drives have direct drive from the motor so do not have belts. Some do not even have a speed adjustment. In these cases, the drive should either be repaired professionally or replaced. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 15 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample display for a good drive TEST DRIVE Spindle Speed Measurement |---- Acceptable ---| | Range | 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 |---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------| ^ Speed = 300 RPM Using Dysan DDD Model 508-400 Analysis: Here, the speed is directly in the middle of the acceptable range, at 300 revolutions per minute. B) Sample display for a bad drive TEST DRIVE Spindle Speed Measurement |---- Acceptable ---| | Range | 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 |---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------| ^ Speed = 291 RPM Using Dysan DDD Model 508-400 Analysis: The above drive is running slightly slow, at 291 revolutions per minute. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 16 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F4 Write / Read Test This test measures the drive's ability to correctly write, then read back, each sector of the disk. It can also be used to verify the operation of a particular diskette, that is, its ability to store data on all parts of it. The computer's operating system normally checks both the write and the read processes for errors. TEST DRIVE checks for those errors and reports them. In addition, each byte that was written is compared with what was read back to determine if it's exactly the same. Any discrepancy is reported as a compare error. Display Information: This test requires the use of a formatted scratch diskette. It writes 512 random bytes of data to each sector on the disk, reads them back and compares them. Errors can occur while Writing, Reading or Comparing the data, and are reported sector by sector. There are several types of write and read errors returned by the system's BIOS, such as bad seek or bad CRC. These errors are not reported individually in this test. Only 'W' or 'R' are displayed, depending on whether the error was the result of a write or a read operation. Since TEST DRIVE writes random data to all sectors including those used by the operating system for file and directory information, any diskette used for this test will have to be re- formatted before it can be used for normal purposes. Insure that the media used is of high quality and does not introduce errors into the test. No errors should be tolerated for this test. Adjustment: There is no adjustment. In some cases, the drive heads may simply need to be cleaned. Use a good quality cleaner and try the test again. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 17 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample display for a good drive TEST DRIVE Write / Read Test Sector-+ Track --> | 0 - - - 9 - - - 19 - - - 29 - - - 39 1 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- 2 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| ~ = Sector OK 3 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 4 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 5 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Head W = Write error 6 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 0 7 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| R = Read error 8 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 9 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| C = Compare error 1 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- 2 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 3 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Total errors = 0 4 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 5 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Head 6 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 1 7 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 8 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 9 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- Analysis: The above display indicates that the program was able to successfully write, then read back the same data, to every sector on the diskette. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 18 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 B) Sample display for a bad drive TEST DRIVE Write / Read Test Sector-+ Track --> | 0 - - - 9 - - - 19 - - - 29 - - - 39 1 - ~~C~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- 2 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| ~ = Sector OK 3 - W~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~W~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 4 - WR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 5 - WR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Head W = Write error 6 - WW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~W~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 0 7 - WR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| R = Read error 8 - R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 9 - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~R~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| C = Compare error 1 - ~~~~~C~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- 2 - ~~~WRW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WWR~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 3 - ~~~WWWW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Total errors = 54 4 - ~~~WWWW~~~~~~~~~~~WWW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 5 - ~~~WWRW~~~~~~~~~~~WWW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Head 6 - ~~~~RWW~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 1 7 - ~~~~WRR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 8 - ~~~~~RR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 9 - ~~~~~RRWC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- Analysis: The above display shows many errors of different types. The problem could simply be a bad diskette. If the problem occurs with more than 1 formatted diskette of good quality, there is a problem with the read/write mechanism of the drive. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 19 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F5 Hysteresis Test Hysteresis is a measure of the drive mechanism's ability to seek a specified track from either direction and position the head in precisely the same position. The head is moved to an inner track (toward the hub) and then sent to the middle of the disk. Measurements of alignment are recorded and displayed. The head is then sent to an outer track and subsequently sent to the center again. Measurements are taken and compared to the previous center measurements to determine the hysteresis. The hysteresis error is determined by the difference in the center of the alignment pattern. For example: The first alignment readings are +10 and -9 milli-inches. This is to say that the head is in such a position that data offset +10 and -9 milli-inches can be read. The head is then sent to the outer track and back to the center to again take readings of +10 and -9 milli-inches. This is simply 0 milli-inches of hysteresis. The head had positioned itself at precisely the same position when seeking a track from either direction. If the second set of readings were +9 and -10 the hysteresis would be 1.0 milli-inch. In general, the center of each reading is compared to determine the hysteresis. The center of +10 and -9 is +0.5 and the center of +9 and -10 is -0.5. The difference is 1 milli-inch. Although these numbers are confusing the graphical representation will make more sense. In this test, the alignment sensitivity is ignored and only the center of the data pattern is used in determining hysteresis. The actual alignment of the drive is unimportant in this test but the repeatability of the positioning is crucial. Disk drives with excessive hysteresis are unreliable. Display Information: TEST DRIVE uses two of the middle progressive offset tracks on the DDD for this test: tracks 16 and 19. The horizontal bars on the display span the distance from track centerline that the drive was able to read successfully. Each set of bars is for a particular head and track, with the head having been positioned there from opposite directions. Ideally, each set of bars should be equal in length. Adjustment: There is no adjustment and the drive should be discarded or sent to the manufacturer for reconditioning. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 20 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample display of a good drive TEST DRIVE Hysteresis Test <----------- m i l l i - i n c h e s ----------> H Tr Dir Error -13-12-11-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 +6 +7 +8 +9+10+11+12+13 - -- --- ----- |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| 0 16 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 0.0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 16 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 0.5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 0 19 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 0.5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 19 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 0.0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Analysis: The above drive has no significant hysteresis. Some error is normal since data written too far off track center may be read unreliably. If the error is consistently greater, the drive has a problem. The drive also exhibits good sensitivity since it can read to a minimum of +10 and -9 milli-inches. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 21 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 B) Sample display of a bad drive TEST DRIVE Hysteresis Test <----------- m i l l i - i n c h e s ----------> H Tr Dir Error -13-12-11-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 +6 +7 +8 +9+10+11+12+13 - -- --- ----- |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| 0 16 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 2.0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 16 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 2.0 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 0 19 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 1.5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 19 --> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <-- 2.5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Analysis: This drive has more hysteresis than normal and indicates a possible problem with its positioning mechanism. For example, when head 1 is moved toward the spindle to track 19 it can read data at 8 milli-inches away from the spindle and 12 milli-inches toward the spindle. When head 1 is moved away from the spindle and is stopped at track 19, it can read data at 12 milli-inches away from the spindle and 9 inches toward the spindle. This indicates that the head was not in the same physical location. This drive would probably pass the alignment test however, since in all the above cases it can read data to +/-8 milli-inches. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 22 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F6 Head Azimuth Test Head rotation or azimuth is an indication of the angular position of the head with respect to a line tangent to the track centerline. If the head is "twisted", or "rotated", with respect to the track centerline the data written to the diskette will be "slanted" and will eventually cause problems when interchanging diskettes with other drives. For these measurements, TEST DRIVE uses the azimuth rotation track (track 34) of the DDD. This track has data written on track centerline, but at increasingly greater angles, both toward and away from the spindle. The angle range from 21 to 42 minutes of a degree. If the drive's head is angled slightly out of position, it will be able to read data on the tracks at one angle, but will have problems with data written at the opposite angles. Display information: For each successful read operation, the display shows four slashes '/' or four reverse slashes '\'. It will show four capital x's if it was unable to read data written at a particular angle. Adjustment: There is no adjustment for head azimuth in most drives, and the head assembly or the entire drive should be replaced. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 23 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample display of a good drive TEST DRIVE Head Azimuth Test / \ / / \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / / \ \ \ \ / / / / \ \ \ \ / / / / / X \ \ \ \ / / / / / / X \ \ \ \ \ / / / / / / / X \ \ \ \ \ Head / / / / / / / X \ \ \ \ \ 1 / / / / / / \ \ \ \ \ / / / / / \ \ \ \ / / / / \ = OK \ \ \ \ / / / / \ \ \ Head / / / X = Error \ \ 0 / / \ / -42 -39 -36 -33 -30 -27 -24 -21 +21 +24 +27 +30 +33 +36 +39 +42 <--------------------- Angular Rotation ----------------------> Angular position of head in minutes of a degree. Analysis: The above drive shows no problems with head azimuth. Both heads were able to acceptably read the data on the test tracks. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 24 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 B) Sample display of a bad drive TEST DRIVE Head Azimuth Test \ / \ \ / / \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ \ / / / / \ \ \ \ / / / / \ \ \ \ \ / / / / X \ \ \ \ \ \ / / / / X X \ \ \ \ \ \ \ / / / / X X X \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Head / / / X X X X \ \ \ \ \ \ 1 / / X X X X \ \ \ \ \ / X X X X \ \ \ \ / X X X \ = OK \ \ \ \ / / X X \ \ \ Head / / X X = Error \ \ 0 / / \ / -42 -39 -36 -33 -30 -27 -24 -21 +21 +24 +27 +30 +33 +36 +39 +42 <--------------------- Angular Rotation ----------------------> Angular position of head in minutes of a degree. Analysis: The above display indicates that Head 1 does not have an azimuth problem, but that Head 0 may be rotated slightly in one direction, Head 0 was able to read all the data angled in one direction, but could not read data angled at 27' or greater in the opposite direction. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 25 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F7 Hub Centering Hub Centering is a measure of how well the disk clamping mechanism holds the disk media centered and rotates it in a perfect circle. The DDD has three test tracks for three levels of clamping sensitivity, 7, 8 and 9 milli-inches. These tracks are called the alternate offset tracks. Data is alternately offset +/- 7, +/- 8 or +/- 9 milli-inches all around the disk. All disks should pass the 7 milli-inch test and some with perfect clamping and good sensitivity will pass the 9 milli-inch test. A drive should be considered to be in good shape if the 8 milli-inch test is passed. Display information: The display for hub centering shows 3 sinusoidal waveforms each indicating results from different tracks. A solid block (indicated by a '~' in this document) is displayed for a successful read, and an 'X' is displayed for an unsuccessful read. The results for head 0 are displayed first, and the user is given the option to test head 1 also. Adjustment: There generally is no adjustment for disk clamping or hub centering. Poor centering us usually an indication of a worn out drive. Note: The DDD does not have a reinforcing hub. This is to avoid any centering error that could be introduced by the hub reinforcer ring. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 26 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample of a good drive TEST DRIVE Hub Centering Head 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ X ~ ~ 9 --> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 8 --> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 7 --> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ = OK X = Error ~ ~ ~ ~ <----------------- One Disk Revolution -------------------> Analysis: This drive is functioning properly. The 9 milli-inch test shows an occasional error but this is acceptable. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 27 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 B) Sample of a bad drive TEST DRIVE Hub Centering Head 0 ~ X X ~ X ~ ~ X X ~ ~ X ~ 9 --> X ~ ~ ~ X ~ ~ X ~ X ~ 8 --> X ~ ~ ~ X X ~ ~ X X ~ 7 --> ~ ~ ~ X ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ = OK X = Error ~ ~ ~ ~ <----------------- One Disk Revolution -------------------> Analysis: The drive is not rotating the disk in a perfect circular fashion. Errors may be tolerated at 9 milli-inches but never at 7 milli-inches. This indicates that as the disk is rotating, with the head in a fixed position, the data track is not consistently under the head. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 28 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F8 Continuous Alignment The continuous alignment test is provided as a way to `zero in' on a particular head and track and take continuous measurements. The test defaults to head 0, track 19, but by using the left, right, up and down arrows, the user can select any of the progressive offset tracks on the DDD. When the continuous alignment test begins to run, it will first test for the presence of the Dysan DDD. If it is present, the test will proceed. If it is not, the operator is given the opportunity to override and continue anyway. If the drive is so poorly adjusted that TEST DRIVE cannot sense the Dysan disk, the override feature allows the operator to at least start the test, presumably so that a technician can attempt adjustment. If the user selects the override feature, and a non-Dysan DDD is inserted, TEST DRIVE will report "Unable to read any data on disk" for each measurement trial. Display information: The horizontal bars on the display span the distance from track centerline that the drive was able to read. When new measurements are taken, the previous bars are scrolled down, and the current measurements are displayed on the top line. If the head or track is switched, all previous measurements are cleared before new data is displayed. Adjustments: If you attempt to make alignment adjustments, you can do so while the continuous alignment test is running. The test will continually report any change. Keep in mind that a disk drive is a precision instrument. If the data pattern shows a 2 milli-inch shift, this is indicating the physical positioning needs to be shifted 1/1000 of an inch to gain symmetry. This is a very small distance. Once you start to move the head assembly, the alignment may worsen. In any case, when adjusting the heads be careful not to cause damage to the DDD. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 29 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 A) Sample display of a good drive TEST DRIVE Continuous Alignment Test <----------- m i l l i - i n c h e s ----------> -13-12-11-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 +6 +7 +8 +9+10+11+12+13 |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| Current > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Previous ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use the up & down arrows > Head 0 Track 19 < Use the left & right to switch heads arrows to switch tracks Analysis: The above drive appears to be perfectly aligned, as evidenced by the fact that it can read data at equal distances on either side of track center. If other tracks and the other head also display good results, alignment can be considered excellent. Sensitivity is 20 (10 + 10) which is also very good. Keep in mind, that some variations in the above display are normal, particularly at the sides. Data written greater than 8 milli-inches from track center may be read unreliably. If this test display were to show some slight variation in alignment or sensitivity, it does not necessarily mean that the drive is in need of adjustment. Some variation is normal since data written too far off track center may be read unreliably. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 30 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 B) Sample display of a bad drive TEST DRIVE Continuous Alignment Test <----------- m i l l i - i n c h e s ----------> -13-12-11-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 +6 +7 +8 +9+10+11+12+13 |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| Current > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Previous ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Use the up & down arrows > Head 0 Track 19 < Use the left & right to switch heads arrows to switch tracks Analysis: The above drive shows poor alignment since the horizontal bars are all skewed to one side. It is definitely in need of adjustment. The head is shifted slightly away from the spindle as indicated by the higher negative values. Sensitivity is 19 (6 + 13 or 7 + 12), which is good. Therefore, this drive can probably be adjusted to within acceptable tolerances. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 31 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 F9 Cleaning Utility The disk read/write heads may in time build up a deposit of oxide, smoke or dust particles that will adversely effect the sensitivity of the heads. Depending on the amount of buildup, cleaning may improve the performance of the disk drive. The TEST DRIVE cleaning utility is designed to be used with a standard cleaning disk and cleaning solution. It will rotate the disk for a set length of time, and move the heads across the surface of the cleaning disk. Most manufacturers of cleaning disks recommend that you invoke a DIR command and continue the drive motion for about 30 seconds. This will cause the head to seek to track zero looking for the directory information. In doing this, the only portion of the cleaning disk that is used is the portion physically located where track zero is supposed to be (the outer edge). The TEST DRIVE cleaning utility will move the head across the disk from track 0 to track 39. Each cycle from track 0 to 39 takes approximately 10 seconds. By using the cleaning utility in conjunction with a standard cleaning disk you will get more efficient usage of the cleaning disk and more efficient cleaning of the heads. Most drive cleaners recommend that you use the cleaning disk only 10 to 20 times before discarding. Since the head itself is physically less that 1/8 inch wide, and it can be moved almost 1 inch across the disk, it stands to reason that if the head positioning is varied and you follow manufacturers advice, you can expect to obtain 80 or more cleanings from a single cleaning disk. Drive cleaning tips: Does cleaning really help? We recommend that you monitor head sensitivity with TEST DRIVE before and after you clean the heads to illustrate what effect the cleaning has on the performance of the heads. Sensitivity is a measure of how well the heads read. The General Test and the Alignment Test indicate sensitivity in the +x to -x readings. The larger the span between the + and - numbers the greater the sensitivity. Take note of the sensitivity before cleaning and after. If the sensitivity did not increase the heads didn't need cleaning. Are cleaning disks harmful to the drives? The cleaning media in the revolving disk cleaners must be stiff to allow for the hub to clamp and spin it. This stiff characteristic generally means that the cleaner is somewhat abrasive also. Excessive usage of abrasive cleaning disks may cause excessive wear on the heads, but occassional cleaning is not harmful. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 32 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 How often should floppy disk drives be cleaned? One cleaning disk manufacturer recommends daily cleaning, most all recommend cleaning at least once a week. However, we recommend that you clean your drive only when needed based on usage and environment. If the environment is smoky or dusty the heads will build up a deposit quickly. In an extremely clean location the heads will require less cleaning. The amount of usage the drive receives will only slightly effect the cleaning requirements. Since the time the head is in contact with the media is generally so short, this does not have as much effect as the environment. In a generally clean environment with moderate usage a disk drive may require cleaning every 3 to 4 months, but there are no hard and fast rules. The best indicator of when to clean your drives can be obtained by using TEST DRIVE to periodically check their performance. What is the best way to clean disk drives? Any standard cleaning disk is acceptable. It appears as though there are only a few manufacturers that provide several name brand distributors. We recommend that a lint free cloth saturated in a good cleaning solvent be used if access to the head assembly if possible. If the access is limited be careful not to disturb the alignment by moving the head assembly. The commercially available cleaning solution provided with cleaning disks is generally a form of isopropyl alcohol and freon. This is fine to use but isopropyl alcohol by itself is sufficient to do the job. The purer it is, the better. Ninety-one percent isopropyl alcohol is available in many drug stores, and 99% is rarer but still available. F10 Program Information This screen gives a very brief "on-line" description of TEST DRIVE. This document is provided for more detailed information. After the information screen, the user is given the option of displaying an 'Instant Order Form'. If a printer is attached, simply use the PrtSc (print screen) function of your computer to print a copy of the order form. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 33 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 1.2MB 1200 x 1024 or 1,228,800 bytes. The amount of data stored on a high density diskette, High density drives are normally found in AT type computers. 360KB 360 * 1024 or 368,640 bytes. The amount of data stored on standard 5 1/4 inch diskette. 720KB 720 * 1024 or 737,280 bytes. The amount of data stored on a 3 1/2 inch diskette. Alignment The measure of how centered the Read/Write head is over the track centerline. Sometimes referred to as Radial Alignment. Alignment The measure of how much of the track the head will Sensitivity respond to. In a 48 TPI drive, if the head reads -11 to +10 milli-inches the head is sensitive to 21 milli-inches of data and is very good. If the head reads -8 to +7 milli-inches of data the sensitivity is 15 milli-inches and is poor. Alternate Alternate offset refers to the data pattern on the Offset centering test tracks. There are 3 tracks used for this test. Data is written at +/- 7 milli- inches on the first, +/- 8 on the second, and +/- 9 on the third. Azimuth The angular displacement of the Read/Write Head relative to a line tangent to the track center line. BIOS Basic Input/Output System. The built functions of a computer to facilitate many functions including disk reads and writes. Centering The ability of the disk clamping mechanisms to clamp on the diskette precisely in the center of the disk and spin the disk in a perfect circle. See Alternate Offset. Sometimes referred to as eccentricity. Clamping See Centering. CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check. A type of error checking used by the computer's BIOS to help insure integrity of data on a diskette. Cylinder A set of concentric equal size tracks, stacked on top of one another. Usually used when discussing hard disks, but sometimes with diskettes also. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 34 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 Diskette The magnetic media inserted into a floppy disk drive, used to store information. DDD Digital Diagnostic Disk, manufactured by Dysan Corporation. Contains data patterns written at precise angles and distances from track center. Eccentricity See Centering. Head The portion of the drive that reads and writes the stored magnetic information from the diskette. Hub The center of the diskette sometimes reinforced with ring. Hysteresis A measure of the drive mechanism's ability to seek to a specified track from either direction and position the head at precisely the same distance from the center. Milli-inch One 1/1000th of an inch. Minute One 1/60th of a degree. Used to measure the rotational position or azimuth of a head relative to track centerline. Progressive Progressive offset refers to the data pattern on Offset the alignment test tracks. The pattern starts at -/+6 milli-inches and progresses to -/+13 milli- inches. The data progressively gets farther away from track center. Radial See Alignment Alignment RPM Revolutions per minute, the number of times the disk spins around in 1 minute. Sector A slice of a track containing data, like a piece of a pie. Each track contains a number of sectors. For 360KB drives, there are 9 sectors per track. High density 1.2MB drives use 15 sectors per track. Seek The process of moving the drive's head to a particular track. Sensitivity See Alignment Sensitivity Spindle The mechanism in the disk drive used to spin the diskette. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 35 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 Spindle Speed The angular rotational speed of the diskette media, or how fast the disk spins around. This is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). TPI Tracks per inch. The density of tracks on a disk. For example: A 48 TPI disk will have 48 tracks per inch, each track spaced 1/48 of an inch apart. A disk with 40 tracks will utilize 40/48ths of an inch on the disk. Track A circle around a disk made up of a number of sectors. Sometimes called a cylinder. Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 36 TEST DRIVE (tm) Version 1.4 CUSTOMER FEEDBACK FORM Your comments, suggestions, criticisms, etc. are most welcome. They help us bring you a quality product at a reasonable price. Just fill out this form and send it to us. Brand and model of computer:_____________________________________ Comment( ) Suggestion( ) Criticism( ) Problem( ) Other___________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Name: ________________________________________________ Company: ________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _______________________________________ Phone: (__________) ____________________________________ Do you need a reply?_________ Are you a registered user?_________ We guarantee a reply to all registered users who request one. MicroSystems Development may use the information you supply without incurring any obligation whatsoever. Mail or Fax this form to: MicroSystems Development 4100 Moorpark Ave. #104 San Jose, CA 95117 USA Fax (408)296-5877 Copyright (C) MicroSystems Development 1987 - 1990. 37