A2090A and big HD
7 messages in this thread
Having troubles getting an A2090A interface to work with my new Fujitsu
M2684SAU hard drive (528 MB SCSI).
The HD is set up at SCSI ID 2, Unit Attention = disabled, SCSI Bus Parity
= enabled, SCSI/CCI level set to CCS/SCSI-1 (not SCSI-2), and motor
control = auto. Terminator resistor pack removed – the HD is between the
A2090A and my 105MB quantum (terminators in place).
Am using PREP version 33.34, and I think this is where my problems may
lie. When I use the Cyl/Head/SCT as the ATA interface version of this
drive (IDE??) (1024/16/63), go thru PREP (set cylinders start/end to 2,
buffers to 1), when I get to the end and tell it to go ahead, it says
device not prepped.
In the mountlist for RESx:, the unit is set to 5 (SCSI device 2).
Now if I use any other numbers for Cyl/Head/SCT, such as 1024/8/126 or
4096/4/63, then after telling PREP to go ahead and do it's deed, the
system seems to go dead. I can select other windows, but that they will
not be drawn correctly if brought to the front, and there is no other
activity being done – forget menus, keyboard input, etc.
I am of the feeling PREP or the A2090A can not handle large drives. Am in
the process of trying to get myself an A2091 interface.
Any suggestions?
73, Kelly
Yes, but…
Sorry that I can only confirm your distrust, the (newer)
hddisk-software in the ROM on the _2090A_ does not manage _harddisks_
> 270 MB. The old software for the _2090_ (hddisk-file in the
expansion-drawer necessary, length 8,2kb) could do this.
Before my own 2090A died, I had a solution with pulled
autoboot-ROM's, and a small batchfile for copying the elder or newer
version "hddisk" into the expansion-drawer, and then rebooting. Sorry
no autoboot from the 2090(A) then. If you want to try, you may find
the newer "hddisk"-file in the expansion-drawer of the
Installation-disk for OS 2.0 or OS 2.1. If you have a SyQuest, you
must use the new file.
By the way, the 2090 _can't_ read the RDB with OS 2/3, but can
_write_ a RDB usable for other SCSI-boards, if you fill in the
_right_ values for heads, sectors, tracks, etc. in HDToolbox, and
save the RDB. Funny.
If you have no own source for the old "hddisk"-version, send me cmail.
…and good luck for the new year!
Harry with AP (from Germany)
Harold,
Thanks for the reply. I do have the hddisk from the 2.1 disk (9436 bytes,
27-Jul-92). Just checked the hddisk on the floppy that came with the
A2090A, and it too is 9436 bytes in size, but dated '88.
Would be nice if somebody could take the newer hddisk and stick it in the
EPROM on the A2090A.
I might make up a boot disk with the hddisk from the 2.1 disk in it and
remove the boot EPROM to see what happens. At this point, it's almost
moot – the A2090A is going to be replaced with an A2091 with version 7
roms in a week or so.
Dang stupid engineering putting in a 270 MB limit!!!!
73, Kelly
Hi Harry,
I was able to make up a boot floppy (took almost two hours before I got it
just right and got the bridgeboard working again.)
Was able to PREP the drive without any problems, but things fell apart
while formatting the HD. Tried it twice with different paramaters for
heads/cylinders/SCT and both times formatting stopped at about the 25%
point, leaving the HD drive LED turned on.
Was using the hddisk from the 2.1 WB install disk.
Oh well, enough experimenting for now. Will leave things as is until the
A2091 shows up.
73, Kelly
Kelly, to pick up on an EMail thread (material might be interesting to others):
1. This limitation on the 2090A, that drives can be no larger than 270MB
(unless the EPROM chip is pulled, etc.) … is that for the ST drive only, or
does it apply to any SCSI drives that are added, too?
2. The need to PREP the SCSI drives before using them. Yes, I see that in
the manual you sent (thanks again).
But do I understand from your message that you can't PREP the SCSI
drives without removing the EPROM? Or were you taking out the EPROM
so as to allow you to format a higher capacity SCSI? In which case,
sounds as if it didn't work, since the formatting didn't run to
completion.
I look forward with great interest in your reports as to how all
this goes. There's every chance that I'll be following your path.
I'll be interested to hear how your planned 2091 upgrade fares.
–Jim
Hi Jim,
The information about the 270MB limitation came from message number
180347, posted by Harald W. Schulz 100022,744. I do not know if the
limitation also applies to ST-506 hard drives. Can you still purchase
ST-506 drives? They must be getting awful hard to come by nowadays.
Yes, the autoboot EPROMs with the defective HDDISK device in them must be
removed in order to PREP the large SCSI drives, this way the newer HDDISK
on your boot floppy will be used when you try to work with the drive. I
was not able to format the HD more than 25% of the way through. This was
with the EPROMs removed.
With the AutoBoot EPROMs on the A2090A installed, when I tried to PREP the
HD, the HD wasn't even being accessed (light never come). Didn't even
bother to try formatting with the EPROMs installed after doing a PREP with
the EPROM's removed.
That's it for experimenting with the Fujitsu HD and the A2090A. The HD
has been disconnected and the case put back on the A2500, only to be
opened up again when I get my grubby hands on an A2091.
73, Kelly
I had a ST1400N I was dinking around with. I had to PREP it as any
SCSI ID # other than zero, but, once prepped, the drive could only be
recognized as SCSI ID zero. Dropped lots of screws and jumpers in
the hardware case while finding this out. Anyway, the 2090 card is
now talking to the 330meg SCSI drive, which is formatted as a small
DH2 and a large DP2 partition. This is on a stock 2000 with an old
2090 card, KickStart 1.3, etc. Only mention it, 'cause one of the
drive's favorite tricks was hanging CLI with the green light on
solid.