Merciful 3/Merciful_Release_3.bin/software/f/flyer/flyerhdtools.lha/FHDT/README.TXT

Text File | 1996-01-11 | 29KB | 654 lines

FlyerHDTools        1
Last Updated December 1, 1995


FlyerHDTools

Abstract
FlyerHDTools is a multi-purpose hard drive utility that you can use to
format hard drives, and evaluate and adjust their performance.
FlyerHDTools will:

*    Format hard drives for Flyer use
*    Test a hard drive's ability to record and play back video
*    Adjust a hard drive's Mode Page settings to improve its performance

Overview
FlyerHDTools consists of four primary screens, each of which serves a
specific purpose. The use-flow within FlyerHDTools follows one of
several possible scenarios: testing a drive, formatting a drive, or
adjusting cache parameters. Generally, you will start the program and
select a drive, then follow a variety of procedures related to that
drive.

Main Screen
The Main Screen allows you to select which hard drive will be tested
(from this screen), formatted (from Format Options), fine-tuned (from
Cache Options), or just studied (using View Log).

Format Options...
The Format Options screen allows you to format the hard drive selected
from the Main Screen. Drives may be formatted for either A/V use or
Audio use only.

Cache Options...
The Cache Options screen allows you to view and adjust the internal
settings of the hard drive selected from the Main Screen. By doing so,
it may be possible to improve a drive's performance characteristics.

View Log...
The View Log screen displays a log for the hard drive selected from
the Main Screen. This button is only available for drives that have
been tested during the current session FlyerHDTools has been running.
The log shows drive information, test results, test summary, and cache
settings of the drive at the time the test was run.


Using FlyerHDTools

Before You Start
FlyerHDTools can be run either with the Toaster software running in
the background (concurrently), or as a standalone program. No other
software programs should be running when you use FlyerHDTools.

The output of your Video Toaster should be terminated correctly. Like
SCSI signals and cables, video signals and cables must be properly
terminated. If your Toaster is active when you choose to run
FlyerHDTools, make sure it has proper video termination. Improper
termination can cause incorrect hard drive test results, which would
force you to re-test and re-format drives at another time.

Important!
Avoid double-termination on the Toaster's main output, especially when
using the Flyer. This can cause the Toaster to appear to "hang" during
startup. (If you disconnect the main output at that time, you'll see
the hard drive access lamp begin to flash on and off again, confirming
that the over-terminated main output was keeping the system from
starting up.) Double-termination drags down the video signal and will
make your picture look dim. Splitting a video signal with a "Y" cable
so that it runs into two devices is a common cause of over-termination.
(You can usually do this with audio wiring without noticeable problems.
Not so for video.)

To Format a Drive:

1)    Start FlyerHDTools. The SCSI Buses will be scanned and FlyerHDTools
    will display the list of drives it has found. (If problems occur,
    check the status line at the bottom of the screen for information. A
    lengthy delay, after which no drives appear, or only some of the
    drives appear, means you should check SCSI termination, cabling, and
    that all SCSI IDs are unique for each SCSI chain.)

2)    Select a drive from the list (by clicking on it). Its name will
    appear in the indented box at the bottom of the drive list, confirming
    that this drive has been selected.

3)    Click on Format Options... to go to the formatting screen.
    The upper portion of this screen displays the current information for
    the selected drive. The middle contains three gadgets for you to work
    with.

4)    If this is a new hard drive that has never been formated for Flyer
    use, or if you wish to change a formatted drive's name, enter a name
    in the New Volume Name box. See "Understanding Format Options" if you
    have any questions about this or the next two buttons.

5)    Select the type of formatting for this drive using the Format Volume
    For cycle button (click this button repeatedly to cycle through its
    options).

6)    If you have just tested this drive, and wish to short stroke it when
    you format it, select the short-stroke option you want using the Short
    Stroke cycle button. We recommend using the Blocks option, with the
    block value FlyerHDTools recommends based on its tests (and inserts
    automatically when you choose the Blocks option).

7)    Click the Format button to begin formatting.

8)     When FlyerHDTools is finished formatting the drive, return to the
    Main Screen where you may either exit the program or select another
    drive for formatting or testing.


Understanding Format Options:

The format options include New Volume Name, Format Volume For, and Short
Stroke. Here's what these items mean.

New Volume Name:
New Volume Name always displays the current name for the selected drive.
If you wish to change the name of the drive, simply click in this box
and enter a new name. When the drive is formatted, it will be renamed
to this name as well.

Format Volume For:
This option allows you to choose the type of Flyer formatting for the
selected drive (based on your intended use for the drive in your Flyer
system). This cycle button has two options, Audio/Video and Audio.

Audio/Video:
When the drive is formatted with this option, it will be able to record
and play back Video clips (with their accompanying audio). Use this
option for all drives that will handle video.

Audio Only:
When the drive is formatted with this option, it will be able to record
and play back Audio clips. Use this option for all drives that will
handle audio only.

Note: Although you can record and play back audio-only clips on video
drives, we do not recommend that you attempt to sequence a mixture of
audio and video clips from the same drive. If you record audio only to
a video drive, make sure to move those clips to an audio drive before
using them in a sequence.

Short Stroke:
The term short stroke is a drive manufacturer's term for "short
formatting" a drive. For example, you might short stroke a 9GB drive
as an 8GB drive so that it had 8GB of usable storage space (and it
appeared to FlyerHDTools to be an 8GB drive). But why would you do this?

The primary reason for short stroking a drive is to make use of only
the "fastest part" of the drive for video storage (video demands fast
data throughput). All drives can read and write data faster to their
outer tracks than to their inner tracks. This means that a given 9GB
drive from Manufacturer X might be able to handle the Flyer's HQ5
recording mode over 92% of its surface area, but that the remaining 8%
is too slow for HQ5.

For example, if you format Manufacturer X's 9GB drive fully, then do
a project using HQ5 quality video clips, you would likely have problems
during sequencing because the Flyer must make temporary "video head" files
in order to sequence properly.  It is possible that these "temp files"
will be written to the slower portions of the drive, meaning that an
HQ5 video clip will now play off of a non-HQ5 part of the drive. The
result will be garbled playback or an error message.

However, if you short stroke format Manufacturer X's 9GB drive to just
the HQ5-capable 92% of its surface area, then the Flyer will be able to
make temp files freely and you will not experience bad video when
sequencing.  The slow portion of the drive is invisible to the Flyer and
will remain unused.

Note:
FlyerHDTools and the Flyer report slightly different amounts of space
for a Flyer drive. The reason for this is that FlyerHDTools reports
space based on the definition of a "Megabyte" being 1,000,000 bytes of
data (this is the same figure that manufacturerer's use in marketing a
drive). However, in computer terminology, a megabyte is usually
1,024,000 bytes of data, which is the figure the Flyer uses. Therefore,
you may notice a slight difference in the amount of space reported.

Short Stroke options include None, Percent, and Blocks.

None:
With this option selected, the drive will be formatted normally. Its
entire surface area will be available for audio or video storage and
playback.

Percent:
When you select this option, a percentage box next to the button becomes
active. You can enter the percentage of the drive that you would like
short stroked, or use the tested value (if any), or use the highest
block that supported the target speed (see Blocks, below). Default
values will be available if you have just tested this drive. For example,
testing a drive for HQ5 mode will tell you whether the drive can handle
HQ5 footage across its entire surface and, if not, what Short Stroke
value you should use if you intend to use the drive for HQ5.

Blocks:
With large hard drives, particularly those over 4GB, using a percentage
(above) to specify a short stroke value can leave a certain amount of
HQ5-compatible drive space unused. This can be wasteful. After a drive
test, use the Blocks setting to format the maximum amount of compatible
drive space for video storage (at whatever target speed was selected
from the test just run). FlyerHDTools will automatically enter the
highest block value that supported that target speed.

Using the Blocks setting is preferable to the percentage setting.


To Test a Hard Drive:
1)    Quit any other programs that are running (it's okay to leave the Flyer
    running, however). Start FlyerHDTools. The SCSI Buses will be scanned
    and FlyerHDTools will display the list of drives it has found.

2)    Select a drive from the drive list (click on its name). Its name will
    appear in the indented box at the bottom of the drive list. Again, check
    cabling, termination, and SCSI ID's if drives do not show up properly.

3)     Enter your name in the Tester box. All tests require a user name.

4)    Select a test type from the Test Type cycle button (click this button
    repeatedly to cycle through its options). We recommend the default
    setting: Read/Write. See "Understanding Test Options" if you have any
    questions.

5)     Select a test length from the Duration cycle button. We recommend
    Repeat 3

6)     Select a target speed from the Target Speed cycle button. For video
    drives, this will be either Standard or HQ5. Probably you will be
    testing drives for their ability to handle HQ5, so this is usually
    best. For an audio drive, select Audio.

7)     Select Start Test to begin testing the drive.

The Status bar near the bottom of the screen doubles as both an
information bar and a "fuel gauge." During testing, the fuel gauge will
fill up as the test progresses. Tests can be interrupted by pressing
the Left Amiga key and the letter b simultaneously. (You can also use
the mouse, but the pointer cannot respond in real time during testing
since the computer is quite busy.)


Understanding Test Options

The testing options include Test Type, Duration, and Target Speed. Here's
what these items mean.

Test Type:
Test Type refers to the type of test to be performed on the selected
drive. There are three options: Read, Write, and Read/Write.

Read/Write:
The best type of test is one where you both read information from the
drive and write information to the drive. This option tests the drive's
ability to store data on its surfaces and retrieve data from its surfaces.
Use this option for new drives that have never been formatted, or drives
that contain data you no longer need. Do not use it for drives that
contain data you need to keep!

Read:
This tests the drive's ability to retrieve data that has been stored.
Use this option when you wish to test a drive that has important data
you do not wish to lose.

Write
This tests the drive's ability to write data that it is receiving. This
test is useful only if you have acceptable read times, but unacceptable
write times, and you wish to test different parameters that affect
write values.



Duration:
Duration refers to the length of the test you wish to perform.

Important: Flyer owners should always use the Repeat 3 option (the
default setting) when testing a hard drive. The remaining settings do
not report reliable results, and are included for programmer use.

There are two types of duration, time-based and full. A time-based test
lasts for a set number of minutes. A full test runs the entire surface
of the drive and may take hours. There are several duration options:
10 min., 20 min., Custom, Repeat, and Full.

10 min., 20 min.
These options will run the test for the length of time you select, from
10 to 20 minutes. Use this if you have a limited amount of time in which
to run a test, or when you just want to get a quick idea if the drive's
current cache settings have altered its performance noticeably.

Custom (min.)
This allows you to enter the length of the test you wish to run in the
box beside the button (the value represents the number of minutes).
Use this if you have a limited amount of time in which to run a test,
or when you just want to get a quick idea if the drive's current cache
settings have altered its performance noticeably.

Full
This option will run the test for the entire surface of the drive (from
the outermost tracks to the innermost tracks). It is not a time-based
test. For drives that you hope will qualify for the HQ5 recording mode
(best quality), you should perform at least this test. For more absolute
certainty, use Repeat with a value of 3 (see below).

Repeat (3) (number of full tests)
The repeat option allows you to run several full tests in a row (enter
the number of full tests in the box beside this button). This choice is
best for determining a drive's ability to hold up to HQ5 recording,
since it operates the drive for a longer period of time (and better
emulates repeated use, as the drive would experience during actual
usage). The default repeat value is 3 (3 full tests).


Target Speed:
Target Speed refers to the "ideal speed" that you hope this drive is
able to sustain in actual usage, and that you wish FlyerHDTools to use
in its drive summary. For example, if you use a target speed of 5 MB/s,
when the test is complete FlyerHDTools will report how much of the
drive was able to meet that criterion.

There are five target speed options: Standard, HQ5, Custom, None, and
Audio.

Standard:
This option matches the Flyer's Standard recording mode (3.70 MB/s).
If you select this, FlyerHDTools will test the selected drive to see
if it is able to sustain a 3.70 MB/s data rate, and report its results
based on this value.

HQ5:
This option matches the Flyer's High Quality 5 recording mode
(4.80 MB/s). If you select this, FlyerHDTools will test the selected
drive to see if it is able to sustain a 4.80 MB/s data rate, and report
its results based on this value.

Custom:
This option allows you to enter a data rate value of your own choosing.
The value is read a MB/s (megabytes-per-second). FlyerHDTools will test
the selected drive to see if it is able to sustain this data rate, and
report its results based on the entered value.

None:
This option allows you to test a drive without setting a specific target
speed.

Audio:
This option allows you to test a drive for its capability to handle
multi-track audio playback. After you run this test, select View Log
and read the written description that defines how well the drive
performed. Look for a line of information that gives the drive's Maximum
Full Stroke Seek Time performance (usually in milliseconds). Compare
this number with the specs given in the booklet/manual that came with
the drive you just tested. If your manual indicates that the drive's
maximum acceptable full stroke seek time is less than the figure that
FlyerHDTools reports, this drive will be fine for 4-track audio use. (
That is, 2 tracks of stereo audio in addition to the 2 stereo pairs
playing back with video clips during sequencing).


What to Look For in Test results:

Ideally, you want FlyerHDTools to report that the tested drive is fast
enough for the Flyer's HQ5 video recording mode and displays a small
Maximum Idle Time, as shown below. If you are unsure what the figures
below mean, or how to interpret them, see "What to do with the Test
Results," which follows this section.

Values for a drive that is fast enough for Standard* recording and playback:
Lowest Speed        3.70 MB/s or higher
Average Speed        3.70 MB/s or higher
Maximum Idle Time        under 300 ms

*The Standard recording mode can preserve very simple and clean (noise
-free) video. If you are recording well-lit and well-shot material in
Standard mode, you can expect about the quality that you would receive
if recording to another VCR that matched the format you recorded in.
However, if the complexity of the video increases (greater noise exists
either from: a low-quality video format, low light levels in the
recorded material, or highly detailed imagery) the playback quality may
lower noticeably as the Flyer must respond with higher compression
levels.

Values for a drive that is fast enough for HQ5** recording and playback
Lowest Speed        4.80 MB/s or higher
Average Speed        4.80 MB/s or higher
Maximum Idle Time        under 300 ms

**The HQ5 recording mode can handle much more complex video than
Standard mode, rivaling that of BetaCam SP and D2 VCRs. Ideally, drives
should be able to handle HQ5 mode across over 80% of their surface area,
or more.

FlyerHDTools displays its test results to the right of the main screen
in a box labeled Read/Write. The figures in the box show the read and
write characteristics for the selected drive in two forms: the lowest
speed that FlyerHDTools recorded at any time during the drive's test,
and the average speed that the drive was able to maintain throughout
testing. FlyerHDTools also shows the Max(imum) Idle Time for the drive.

In order to understand the figures that FlyerHDTools reports, you first
need to know what the labels mean. Here's a short description for each.

Lowest Speed (MB/s)
These figures identify the rate at which data was read from (and
written to) the slowest portion of the drive. Ideally, they will show
that even the slowest portion of the drive was fast enough to read and
write video data.

There is no specific lowest speed value to look for. Instead, you must
compare the lowest speed value against the target speed value. Since
the preset target speed values represent the Flyer's two record quality
levels, a comparison of the lowest speed and target speed values will
tell you whether the drive is fast enough to handle video at the quality
level you wish.

Look for a drive where the lowest speed meets or exceeds the target
speed. Then you know that the entire drive is at least fast enough to
handle the target speed setting (provided all other figures look good
as well).

If the lowest speed is below the target speed, then this drive is too
slow to handle video at the quality level you want. (It may benefit
from adjustments to its cache parameters. Only experimentation will
tell.)

Average Speed (MB/s)
These figures take into account the entire tested portion of the drive
and display its average speed. Ideally, they will show that the entire
drive reads and writes data at an average speed that is at or above
the target speed for video data.

Look for a drive where the average speed meets or exceeds the target
speed. Then you can be reasonably sure that this drive will handle
video data just fine (provided all other figures look good as well).

If the average speed is below the target speed, then this drive is too
slow to handle video at the quality level you want. (It may benefit
from adjustments to its cache parameters. Only experimentation will tell.)

Max Idle Time (ms)
As the Flyer reads data from a drive there may be slight interruptions
that keep the video from streaming off the hard drive at a steady rate.
Error Map delays,  caused by the drive heads jumping to the remap
location and back in order to skip drive imperfections, slow down a
drive. Thermal calibration, where the drive resets its head position,
also serves to introduce delay. FlyerHDTools displays all such delays
in one figure as the drive's Maximum Idle Time.

Look for a drive where this figure is under 300 milliseconds (under 200
milliseconds is best). If Max Idle Time approaches 300ms or higher,
the drive may be prone to stuttering when playing back video.

What to Do with the Test Results

If the drive meets the specifications for Flyer use and passes tests
within FlyerHDTools, try it with the Flyer to make sure it functions
correctly in real-world use.

If the drive reads data too slowly, writes data too slowly, or both,
you have the following options:

*    If you feel comfortable with changing the drive's internal settings,
    you may wish to attempt to do so. Then retest with FlyerHDTools to
    see if your changes were successful. In this way you might find a
    setting that causes the drive to read and write data effectively for
    the Flyer.

*    Contact NewTek's BBS and look to see if anyone else who has purchased
    this model drive has posted revised cache parameters with Flyer-ready
    settings.

*    If you purchased the drive with the understanding that you could
    return it, you may wish to exchange it for a drive that works better
    with the Flyer.


To Change the Cache Settings for a Drive

Let's assume you have added a new drive to your system: a Zeke II drive
from Manufacturer X. You already have a pair of Zeke II drives, which
work well with HQ5 footage. However, when you test the new drive you
find that it has different settings and performs poorly in comparison.

Assuming you had never used FlyerHDTools before, here's how to use
FlyerHDTools to load the cache settings from your original drives and
write them to the new drive to improve its performance.

1)    Start FlyerHDTools. The SCSI Buses will be scanned and FlyerHDTools
    will display the list of drives it has found. Select one of your
    original Zeke drives from the drive list (click on its name). Its
    name will appear in the indented box at the bottom of the drive list.

2)    Click on Cache Options. FlyerHDTools informs you that the selected
    drive is not using any of FlyerHDTools' currently known cache settings.
    It asks if you would like to add these settings to the master config
    file. Answer YES and enter the following comment: "Zeke II drive,
    good settings." Press Return.

3)    Now you are at the Cache Options screen. Click on Save Config File.
    Answer YES when FlyerHDTools asks if you are sure you want to do this.
    (This adds the newly recorded settings to the config file permanently.)

4)    Click on Main Screen to return there.

5)    Now select the new Zeke II drive (the one that performed poorly when
    tested). Again, click on Cache Options. Again, answer YES to add it
    to the config file, and this time enter a new comment: "Zeke II drive,
    Factory settings, not good." Press Return.

6)    On the Cache Options screen, click on Save Config File. Answer YES
    when FlyerHDTools asks if you are sure you want to do this. (This
    adds the newly recorded settings to the config file permanently. Just
    in case, you may need these, so it's a good idea to save the master
    config file with the bad settings as a part of it.)

7)    Select the settings file that you named "Zeke II drive, good settings."
    Now click on the Set Drive Cache button. This writes the selected
    settings data (the good settings) to the current drive (with bad
    settings).

8)     Return to the main screen and test the drive. With its new settings
    intact, it should respond as well as the original drives. If not, at
    least you can repeat this process and restore the original factory
    settings.

Using a drive editing utility, you may even be able to edit specific
parameters of a drive's "mode pages" in an attempt to improve
performance. Of course, this procedure is beyond the scope of
FlyerHDTools and should only be attempted by a qualified technician
who has done this kind of work before.


Understanding Cache Options

Cache options allow you to read cache settings from a file, view them,
and write them to the current drive (which can improve a drive's
performance). Here's what these items mean.

Read From File:
Select this option to read cache settings data from a previously saved
file (either an individual drive's log file or a FlyerHDTools config
file). These settings will be retained in memory until replaced (by
using Read From File again).

Write to File:
Select this option to write the current cache settings data from memory
to an individual drive log file.

View Selected:
Select this option to view the cache settings for the selected drive
entry (the entry that has been highlighted in the drive list box).

Copy Selected:
Select this option to create a duplicate of the cache settings for the
selected drive entry (the entry that has been highlighted in the drive
list box). Use this option when you want to make a backup of a given
drive's settings. To preserve the new copy in the config file, use Save
Config File afterward.

Edit Comment:
Select this option to the comment that accompanies the cache settings
for the selected drive entry (the entry that has been highlighted in
the drive list box). It's a good idea to use unique comments that refer
to the drive's make, model, size, or all three items, and whether the
settings are "factory" or otherwise.

Delete Selected:
Select this option to remove the highlighted settings entry from the
list box. (Warning: if you delete an entry, then save the config file,
that entry is lost forever. However, if you delete an entry and wish
to recover it, simply quit FlyerHDTools and do not save the config file
upon doing so.)

Set Drive Cache:
Select this option to write the cache settings in memory to the current
 hard drive.

Save Config File:
FlyerHDTools maintains a master file list of drive cache settings for
all drives that it has read data from. Any time you add a new, unknown
drive to the system, start FlyerHDTools, and select this new drive,
the program will ask if you wish to add its current cache settings to
the config file. It's best to do so, with a comment that reminds you
that these settings are the "Factory" or "Default" drive settings,
just in case they ever get changed on the drive and you need to restore
them from this file.

Main Screen:
Select this option to return to the main screen.


Pull-Down Menu Items

These items are available from the main screen only.

Project menu:

Save Log File:
A Log file is generated after you have run a test for a given hard
drive. During the current FlyerHDTools session, every drive that you
test will retain an individual log file in memory. Select a drive that
has been tested in order to activate the View Log button. Select the
View Log button to view the log results for that drive. Use the Save
Log File button to save the log file for the currently active drive as
a viewable text file.

Save Config File:
FlyerHDTools maintains a master file list of drive cache settings for
all drives that it has read data from. Any time you add a new, unknown
drive to the system, start FlyerHDTools, and select this new drive, the
program will ask if you wish to add its current cache settings to the
config file. It's best to do so, with a comment that reminds you that
these settings are the "Factory" or "Default" drive settings, just in
case they ever get changed on the drive and you need to restore them
from this file.

Quit:
This option will quit FlyerHDTools.


Options menu:

Long Log File?
Select this option for FlyerHDTools to save longer log files (which
contain additional data on the drive's test results).

AutoSave Log File:
Select this option for FlyerHDTools to prompt you *now* for a log file
name (the log file itself will be saved immediately after the next hard
drive test).


Drive Settings menu:

Add New Drive:
The Add New Drive menu item allows you to add the cache settings from
a new drive to the master cache settings file (the config file) that
FlyerHDTools maintains. When you pull down this option, you will need
to select whether you wish to add new settings from a drive on the
system (From Drive), or from a file on disk (From File).

From Drive:
Select this option to read data from the current hard drive and add it
to the master cache settings config file.

From File:
Select this option to read data from a log file (or config file) and
add it to the master cache settings config file.

Note: FlyerHDTools is able to read cache settings from Log Files as
well as the config file saved from someone else's copy of FlyerHDTools.