#SCSI/SyQuest Hell
17 messages in this thread
Hi…
Having the latest round of SCSI hell (it seems to be a re-occurring
subject around here). Of course, I have a GVP Series II SCSI card,
installed in an A2000, 3001 GVP accelerator, 8 megs fast, WB2.04, no
prevous problems.
The setup looks something like this:
T—-Q210—-Q40—-||=====CDROM=====Sy44=ET
Key:
Q210 = Quantum 210
Q40 = Quantum 40
— = Internal Ribbon
T = Internal Termination
|| = External SCSI port
=== = External SCSI cable
ET = External Termination
CDROM = Toshiba 3201 CDROM
SY44 = SyQuest 44
(Whew!) Now the problem: I just added the SyQuest (it is a known working
unit), and it sometimes appears, sometimes does not mount at all. Using
SCSILister from Xetec, I get some pretty strange results…the SyQuest
shows up as a blank listing (as opposed to NOT AVAILABLE, which is the
normal 'null' listing). The CDROM works great.
I tried switching the SyQuest and the ROM, and I tried not using the
terminator at the external end, with no success. The CDROM continues to
work fine, with or without the terminator. The SyQuest will sometimes
show up with the terminator, but never without it (its ID becomes NOT
AVAILABLE).
Any suggestions? I never had any problems with GVP SCSI until adding the
SyQuest…shorter cables? Install the SyQuest internally?
Thanks!
Jonathan, via AutoPilot // Only Amiga makes
\\// it possible…
Have you tried removing the internal terminator? I'm sure you've made
certain that all the devices have their own SCSI ID, haven't you. B^)
//
Lee Olsen / Orlando, FL – on AutoPilot \X/
Lee,
All of the devices do have their own SCSI ID. As for the removing the
internal terminator…well, things didn't work at all when I did that,
although I tried that when I was going through SCSI/CDROM Hell…:)
Thanks for the help.
Jonathan
Jonathan;
This is probably not a problem but… Try switching the address so that
the CDROM is 6, SyQuest is 5 and the others lower. Also, try CDROM 5 and
SyQuest 6. I am pretty sure that both the Q210 and Q40 are SCSI-I so
there should be no problem with their order.
Besure that both reselection and synchronous are off (at least
initially).
I know that your diagram does not show a terminator on the CDROM but many
do have terminators in them (sometimes switchable and sometimes not).
Though others have had better luck than I have had, you may have a
firmware version in the SyQuest that is just plain not compatible with the
Ami (read standard SCSI). The first two SyQuests that I bought had to be
returned to SyQuest three times before they got it right.
-bill
Bill,
I'll try switching IDs, and make the CDROM lower, although I'm not sure why
this would help.
Reselection and sychronous are off on all devices.
There is a terminator on the CDROM, but it is external. Both the SyQuest
and the ROM are Mac peripherals…I will check to make sure that any
internal terminators have in fact been removed.
The SyQuest ran fine on a 3000 for a while, so I think that it is
compatible with Ami SCSI…in fact, it was running off a Series I card
installed in the 3000.
Thanks for the help. I think that I am going to try shorter cables next.
Jonathan
Jonathan;
Well the fact that they are Mac devices is not good but since they worked
before…..
You did not perchance upgrade the Ami's OS did you?
-bill
Bill,
Hmm..never had a problem with Mac devices before…they are pretty much
straight SCSI. My internal 40 megger is an Apple labeled Quantum…
The OS has been the same for a long while, WB2.04
Jonathan, via AutoPilot // Only Amiga makes
\\// it possible…
Jonathan;
Please, Macs flaunt the SCSI standard. I don't know how many will admit
it publically but, if honest about it, drive manufactures will tell you
that Macs can be a real problem.
-bill
Bill,
I agree with Mac problems with SCSI, but it seems to be a subset sort of
situation…I've always had any Mac SCSI run on my Amiga, but often
standard SCSI that runs on both my Amiga, as well as on an Adaptec equipped
PC will not run on the MAC.
Jonathan
Jonathan;
As of last night, I am convinced that the whole matter is exclusively in
the realm of magic! I currently have an addressing situation that should
not work… and all of the drives that are connected are working!
If I reconfigure that addressing scheme to one that is appropriate to the
drive types then Ami will not boot at all. I don't have the tape drive
connected right now since it is a bit of a pain to change its address but
will likely reset it today and give it a try also.
It is interesting that your experience has shown that the opposite of what
should be the case to be true. In terms of SyQuest drives my experience
has definately be different than yours.
-bill
bill,
Thanks for the info on the Tahiti drive. Here's some for you on SCSI ID
switches. Found this place in Computer Shopper, they put together external
cases.
WETEX INT'L (USA) CORP.
1122D W. Washington Blvd
Suite D
Montebello, CA 90640
800-75-WETEX
800-759-3839
I don't know if you can get the SCSI ID switches cheaper than $5 a pop but
this is the first place I found that will include them in their cases
along with all the other cabling.
I know I'd like the SCSI ID# switches mounted on all my drives, especially
that pesky Tape unit, it sure is hard to get at it.
Chris
Yes, that tape unit is a real pain. I have to open one of mine now to see
if it will work at a different address than what it is on now.
-bill
Bill,
Yeah, I agree that SCSI is a bit black magic at times, but this is my first
incantation…:) SCSI has always been according to Hoyle for me, until
this.
The SyQuest will *always* work when the machine is booted from a
cold state (meaning that it hasn't been used for a few hours). It will
always come back through warm boots after the initial cold boot. But, turn
the machine off for 15 minutes, and turn it back on…and >poof< no
SyQuest.
Something heat sensitive is definitely doing the drift. I think
shorter cables could compensate.
Jonathan
Unless you have more than 15 feet of scsi cable, I would not even begin to
worry about cable length.
-bill
Bill,
Nope, the total length of the internal and external cable is less than 15
feet, so I should be in spec. However, considering that there is some
component that is drifting out of spec when heated up…I thought that a
shorter cable could compensate. This situation is certainly not the norm.
Jonathan
Jonathan;
Just as an aside… I have had well over 20' of SCSI cables on this
system (though I admit that when I started having trouble, one of the
first things that I did was shorten cables to test).
-bill
If the CD-ROM works fine with or without the terminator, odds are that it
is terminated internally. Pop open the case and check. If it is terminated
internally, pull the packs and you should be off to the races.
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/