[ I put port-hp300@NetBSD.ORG on the CC: list, since someone there might
  have more information on this than me...  --thorpej ]

On Wed, 20 Mar 1996 16:28:38 EST 
 Charles Lepple <clepple@thor.tjhsst.edu> wrote:

 > Just a question: We have a bunch of HP9K/300s (currently running
 > HP/UX) that we are planning to convert to NetBSD. However, out  
 > of three hard drives, only two work, and only one of the two working
 > ones completely boots. My question concerns the non-working drive 
 > (a 7963B unit capable of holding three drives).
 > We have an overabundance of ESDI drives which look suspiciously
 > similar to the ones used in the 7963B, and I would like to know
 > whether the ESDI drives would work in the HP box, or whether the HP
 > unit uses MFM or RLL drives.
 > Thanks in advance.
 > --Charles Lepple
 > Co-System Administrator,
 > Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
 > clepple@tjhsst.edu
 > http://www.tjhsst.edu/~clepple/

I *think* the drives themselves are actually MFM, though someone should 
correct me if I'm mistaken.

I'm not really sure if HP frobbed the firmware in them at all, but I'm 
pretty sure that you have to replace it with a drive with identical 
geometry....

Any HP-IB gurus with more info?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jason R. Thorpe                                       thorpej@nas.nasa.gov
NASA Ames Research Center                               Home: 408.866.1912
NAS: M/S 258-6                                          Work: 415.604.0935
Moffett Field, CA 94035                                Pager: 415.428.6939