| Is there any way I can format these on a PC or some other system.  I don't
| have the field maint kit so I can't format them on the VAX.  I do have
| access to the VAX-Ultrix 4.4 CD-ROM.  Is there a way I can mount the CD 
| via NFS and use the software on it to low-level format the drives?
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| wrw1@cec.wustl.edu

Low level formatting is tied directly with the hardware used to talk with
the disk (in this case an RD53, Micropolis 1325/1335).  You can format it
on a PC or anything that talks with an MFM disk (with a tweak to R7) but
you'll not be able to then use it with an RQDXn controller.

We used to take this drastic route when even the field service diagnostics
would not format a drive, which I suspect resulted from one or more of
the critical blocks used when RQDX3's and DEC MSCP RCT tables were bad.
A PC reformatting tended to wipe anything and everything so one could
often then convince the FE diags to work - but this is false economy
as the drive will likely fail soon again as the bogus critical block(s)
fail eventually.

A number of folks have kept around an old VS2000 just to do this formatting.
You don't even need the big video head as a DEC console cable (or something
that shorts pins 8-9) will allow an ASCII terminal as console.  The firmware
in the VS2000 acts like an RQDX3 although I recall the resulting disk
interleave ends up being 1:2 or 1:3 (I'd have to check the archive info)
rather than 1:1 as on a real RQDX3.  I doubt anyone will notice a performance
drop 8-)

With an RQDX3 controller, there is specific label information written to
the disk so it is unlikely you'll find a formatting solution outside of
DEC hardware & software.