> > Is anyone successfully using an Exabyte 8200 8mm tape drive with *any*
> > flavor of NetBSD?  I ask, because I've encountered a similar problem on two
> > different platforms.

> > The problem: after a short (up to 1 or 2 MB tops) amount of transfer, the
> > entire machine hangs.  The platforms:

> I'm running an an 8200 on two diffrent i486 machines. They both run
> NetBSD 1.0. The one htat uses a "bt" controller installed w/o
> a problem. The other machine has an "aic" controller and was a little
> harder to get running. I had similar hang problems described. I was
> able to get it to run by experimenting with the eight dip switches
> on the daughter board within the 8200 unit. I bought the 8200 from
> a company called CSC. They never told me what the dip switches did
> cuz "its proprietary information". I can check what I have but I 
> suspect my 8200 EPROM is diffrent from yours and the switches may
> not have the same function. I hope this helps. 

Here's a news article I archived on the subject:

--- cut here --- file: exabyte8200-jumpers
> Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi
> Path: newsserver.trl.OZ.AU!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yarrina.connect.com.au!classic.iinet.com.au!news.uoknor.edu!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!paladin.american.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!enews.sgi.com!wdl1!NewsWatcher!user
> From: lfry@wdl.loral.com (Lee W. Fry)
> Subject: Re: turning parity on on Exabyte 8200
> Message-ID: <lfry-1205950735510001@137.249.227.13>
> Sender: news@wdl.loral.com
> Organization: LORAL Western Development Labs
> References: <ERIK.95May11145339@avalon.harvard.edu>
> Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 15:35:51 GMT
> Lines: 69

In article <ERIK.95May11145339@avalon.harvard.edu>,
erik@avalon.harvard.edu (the cruise director) wrote:
> 
> I bought an Exabyte 8200 from the net and it doesn't seem to be
> generating parity data so my Indigo doesn't want to talk to it - does
> anyone know how to tell the drive to generate parity data? I couldn't
> find any obvious jumpers.... Thanks
> 
Jumpers/switches are on the MX board. I think that the top of the case and
the board must be removed to access jumpers/switches.  Per a November 1989
8200 Spec there are at least two different MX boards. Level 1, part no
724021-xxx has jumpers. Level 2, part no 724022-xxx has switches.

Level 1 Jumper Configuration:

J1 L-M Bypass Memory Test - 8 Second Startup
    M-R Run Memory Test - 65 Second Startup

J2 L-M Parity Checking Enabled
   M-R Parity Checking Disabled

J3 L-M Even Byte Disconnect
   M-R Odd or Even Byte Disconnect

J4  L-M No Busy Enable
   M-R Report Busy Status

J5 L-M P6 Cartridge Type - Domestic
   M-R P1 Cartridge Type - International

J6 L-M Reserved for future use

J7 L-M Normal Operations
   M-R No Disconnect in Data Phase

J8 L-M Fixed Block Mode on Power Up
   M-R Variable Block Mode on Power Up

Level 2 Switch Configuration:

SW1 Off Run Memory Test - 65 Second Startup
    On Bypass Memory Test - 8 Second Startup

SW2 Off Parity Checking Disabled
    On Parity Checking Enabled

SW3 Off Odd or Even Byte Disconnect
    On Even Byte Disconnect

SW4 Off Report Busy Status
    On No Busy Enable

SW5 Off Fixed Block Mode on Power Up
    On  Variable Block Mode on Power Up

SW6 Off Normal Operations
    On No Disconnect in Data Phase

SW7 Off Reserved for Future Use
    On 

SW8 Off P6 Cartridge Type - Domestic
    On P1 Cartridge Type - International

Hope this helps.

-- 
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are my own and do not in any way represent Loral Aerospace Corporation.
Lee W. Fry   lfry@wdl.loral.com

--- cut here ---

-- 
Luke Mewburn <luke.mewburn@itg.telstra.com.au>
"This is the central trick of the censor: to exaggerate the importance of the
 challenging speech, to suppress it, and to deny the suppression."
        -- `Guilty Secrets; Free Speech & Defamation in Australia', Roger Pullan