DLT8000 Flashing LEDs

[Verne Britton]

Ok, I messed around with LTT and think I have what you want ... a STICKET...LTT file :-)

See attached.

BTW, VMS has no detail item or +/- signs like Windows ... LTT on VMS is pretty much a character cell interface with keyboard commands ...

Verne

[David Ruska]

Verne,

Yes, the .ltt file is exactly what we need. The .ltt file has all the detail levels stored (which you can change while viewing).

The earlier text file snapshot you had was at the normal (default) level.

You can change it in the CSI (command screen) interface. I had to log into my hp-ux box to remember how to do it :-).

When viewing the ticket (in the CSI), you type "detail 4" to set the detail to everything. Anyway, we have all the details now in the .ltt file.

I'll analyze this later today. There's also a bugcheck logged in the same power-on hour. A bug check is basically an unhandled error condition. These are either software bugs, unexpected error conditions, or unhandled hardware faults. I'll see if there's a known decode of a BE09 bug check.

[David Ruska]

It would be interesting to know if the other 2 drives have similar errors.

The BE09 bugcheck (as best I can determine) is related to the head preamplifier not reaching stability. It could be a side effect of mechanical problems tensioning and/or moving tape.

The A402 drive error log entry seems to better explain the problem. The drive error code detail logged is an error 5B. This is defined as "Load Nb error". The "Nb" refers to motor B, which is the internal take-up reel. The error code definition states "During loading of the tape, the calculation of the diameter of the take-up reel tape distribution was outside of reasonable limits, but the diameter of the supply reel was okay.".

Have you tried manually removing the current tape and reattaching the leader, and then loading a known good tape?

It could be a problem being caused by the specific tape still in the drive. If not, then its more likely an electrical failure in the motor or motor control circuitry.

Lastly, the "SCSI Event: Unknown" entries include the ASC/ASCQ data which says Hardware error - Internal Target failure. That is likely related to the load errors.

[Verne Britton]

Is there some magic way to force the tape drive to rewind? ... some way to issue it a direct SCSI command to do so?

I hate to keep cutting tapes and manually pulling the tape off the take-up reel (after taking the case off of course) :-)

The few things I have tried under VMS all want the tape to be mounted to VMS first, but of course the drive will not mount in its current condition :-) (but LTT can talk to it just fine)

Verne

[David Ruska]

> Is there some magic way to force the tape drive to rewind? ... some way to issue it a direct SCSI command to do so?

Yes, you can but the drive will not accept it until the tape is tensioned (i.e. loaded).

Power-cycling a DLT drive will rewind the tape automatically after it's tensioned. However, if it can't tensiion the tape, the only way out is a manual rewind and unload.

> Is there some magic way to force the tape drive to rewind? ... some way to issue it a direct SCSI command to do so?

The few things I have tried under VMS all want the tape to be mounted to VMS first, but of course the drive will not mount in its current condition :-) (but LTT can talk to it just fine)

Most OS'es will not send any operations (including just "opening" the device) to the drive until the device is "ready", LTT doesn't really care. If you look in the LTT support ticket, it reports:

|__ SCSI Test Unit Ready returns a check condition
||__ SCSI Info : 0x02 0x0403 (Logical Device: device does not report ready)

The 0x02 sense key is "Not Ready".
The 0x0403 additions sense code/qualifier is "Logical unit not ready, manual intervention required".

After you've manualled removed a tape and re-attached/threaded the leader, if the drive will not load a known-good tape, then it has some type of electro/mechanical fault.

[Verne Britton]

I had troubles with LTT ... can you check and see if this attached file is the right one please ?

This is from the DLT8000 with a serial number ending in 1919.


Verne

[David Ruska]

That's actually the LTT event log, but it contains a support ticket within it. I renamed it to a .ltt file and I can view it.

This drive is reporting:

|__ SCSI Test Unit Ready returns a check condition
||__ SCSI Info : 0x02 0x3003 (Unit Not Ready, incompatible Media (Cleaning Cartrige) Installed)

So it think's that a cleaning tape is installed. The cleaning tape sensing is actully done by checking the position and number of holes at the start of the tape, so it's possible that mechanical or sensor problems are causing it to believe a regular tape is a cleaning tape.

The event log also has a BE09 bug check, along with many A402 drive errors. The specific error code is 0x0082 which means "Brake Timeout Error".

I'd guess this drive is having motor control/sensing problems.

[Verne Britton]

We swapped motors on one unit from front to back and realized the front motor was bad.

We then took a back motor from another drive to replace the bad front motor and VOILA we have a working drive now with v89 firmware !!

The motors looked absolutely identical ... and it works.

But that leaves us with two dead drives (I started out with three drives all with a stuck tape and blinking LEDs).

I found one website that sells DLT8000 motors for $140 each ...

I was hoping this "burnout after leaving dismounted cartridge" issue that was addressed in firmware 89 with a timer would amount to a design or manufacturing defect, and there would be a cheap or free way to get them all fixed ...


Verne

[jwt_1]

I have a Compaq 40/80 with a stuck tape and all lights on the right flashing. What is the process for manual removal?

I generated a support ticket and have attached the file.