KS-10 Disk Formatter

The KSFORM utility provides a stand-alone, easy-to-use solution for formatting up to 11 RP06 or RM03 disk drives connected to an RH11 controller on a DECSYSTEM-2020. Key features and procedures described in this document include:

• Loading Procedure: Instructions for booting the program from the console.
• User Interaction: Guidelines for configuring controller addresses, selecting drives for formatting, and setting mapping options for bad block (BAT) areas.
• Program Routines: Details on the three main subroutines: FORMAT (18-bit PDP-10 mode formatting), RONLY (read-only verification), and MAPOUT (reporting and writing BAT block contents).
• Error Handling: Descriptions of fatal vs. recoverable errors and the automatic retry procedures implemented to handle transfer, positioning, and data command failures.