Best 68 Pin SCSI Card for Mac OS 9 on 933 mHz Quicksilver G4?

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Best 68 Pin SCSI Card for Mac OS 9 on 933 mHz Quicksilver G4?

Hello,

I'm looking for a SCSI card that will support 68 pin SCSI drives (15K Cheetahs) on a Mac G4 Quicksilver running Mac OS 9 ONLY (Not Classic. I only installed OS 9 from the retail disc and am NOT using Mac OS X). I have Adaptec 2940UW and Adaptec 2940U2W cards which work on my Blue and White G3 with SCSI drives. However those Adaptec cards do not work on the G4....at least you can't boot from a SCSI drive on them.

I would like a card that may also work in OS X in case I change the purpose of the machine later as I have those original install discs. I have read of some folks using the ATTO UL4D with success in OS X, but wanted to know if anyone knows if it will work in OS 9.2.1 only or Classic. I called ATTO Tech and they weren't sure, and some old web pages I have read only mention OS X. Hence, I'm unsure if it's compatible with OS9. I would appreciate any feedback from SCSI users. Also, if there are other cards that you think would work with my setup, please advise.

Thanks,

Jeff

PowerMac, Mac OS 9.2.x, G4 Quicksilver 933 mHz

Posted on Dec 15, 2012 7:31 AM

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Answer 1

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Dec 16, 2012 11:23 AM in response to Nostalgian

Some of these sites may be able to offer help.

http://macpowerpc.com/recommended/

http://noappleistoooldforus.com/

http://myoldmac.net/SELL/applemacintosh-powerbook.php

http://home.earthlink.net/%7Egamba2/index.html

http://oldermac.hardsdisk.net/oldmac.html#hard

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Answer 2

Dec 16, 2012 1:17 PM in response to Nostalgian

Suggest you join LEM-Swap for buying & selling Mac stuff. http://groups.google.com/group/lemswap

After you join, post a WTB (want to buy) with your posted info.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

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Answer 3

Jeff

Level 6

12,058 points

Dec 16, 2012 11:16 PM in response to Nostalgian

"I have Adaptec 2940UW and Adaptec 2940U2W cards which work on my Blue and White G3 with SCSI drives."

Are these SCSI cards the same ones that were in your G3? The Adaptec AHA-2940UW and AHA-2940U2W are controller cards designed for use in PCs, whereas the made-for-Apple card is the AHA-2940U2B. Bootable controller cards must be firmware-based and not driver-based, because they must be recognized, before a driver could be read from any connected hard drive. A card designed for use in PCs won't function in a Mac, because its ROM lacks the correct programming. An unsupported, installed "PC" controller card may be recognized by the System Profiler, but that doesn't guarantee that the card will function. With a Mac-compatible controller card, you would be able to format the connected drive using Drive Setup, which is in the OS 9 Utilities Folder. You might find it useful to download the "PowerDomain 6.1.2" (pre-OS X) utility, that's designed for use with the Adaptec SCSI controller cards. Its "PowerDomain Control" lets you select certain options on the card.

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Answer 4

Nostalgian Author

Level 1

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Dec 17, 2012 6:48 PM in response to Jeff

Thanks to all for the helpful links. To Jeff, yes the Adaptec 2940UW and 2940U2W cards are the ones that worked fine in my Blue and White G3. I received the Power Domain software with the cards, but never needed to use it. When looking into the G4 thing a few years ago, I was told that the ATTO cards were the only ones that would work with Powermac machines that were made to boot in OS X. I passed on it because it was $400 at the time. My humble tests seemed to confirm that. Yet, if it's firmware based and not OS-based as you mention, I'm not sure if I know how to tweak that. I was hoping to hear that someone had a card name that they have used with a machine identical to mine with proven success. I've done several hours of research, but may need to continue at it, or call ATTO and hope for a different tech.

Regards,

Jeff

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Answer 5

Nostalgian Author

Level 1

0 points

Dec 17, 2012 9:02 PM in response to Nostalgian

I looked at the boxes, and technically, they are Power Domain 2940 UW and Power Domain 2940 U2W. My understanding is that Adaptec put "Power Domain" in front of the card names for Mac-compatible scsi cards at that time.

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Answer 6

Nostalgian Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 19, 2013 6:23 PM in response to Nostalgian

I ended up buying an ATTO UL3S Ultra 3 SCSI card used and it's working famously in OS9. It's boots fine with drives running OS9. I got is used for $25 so it was a cheap bet. Just wanted to post my results in case others might benefit.

Cheers,

Jeff

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Answer 7

Da Cat

Level 1

0 points

May 10, 2014 1:10 AM in response to Nostalgian

PowerDomain 39160

Supported Operating Systems
Macintosh OS 8.6 Macintosh OS 9.0 Macintosh OS 9.0.2 Macintosh OS 9.0.3 Macintosh OS 9.0.4 Macintosh OS 9.1 Macintosh OS 9.2.x Mac OS X 10.1.x Mac OS X 10.2.x Mac OS X 10.3.x Mac OS X Server 10.1.x Mac OS X Server 10.2.x Mac OS X Server 10.3.x

Key Differentiators
Takes full advantage of 64-bit PCI Connectivity for up to 30 SCSI peripherals with one card

System Environment
Desktop

Number of devices
Combination of 30, internal and external

Bus System Interface Type
64-bit PCI

External Connectors
(2) 68-pin Very High-Density Ultra160/m SCSI

Internal Connectors
2 68-pin Ultra 160 1 50-pin Standard

Data Transfer Rate
320 MB combined (160 MB on each channel)

System Requirements
PCI-based Power Macintosh Mac® OS 8.6 or later, Mac OS X 10.1.x or 10.2.x Blue & White G3 or G4 PCI expansion slot SCSI peripheral(s)

http://www.adaptec.com/en-us/support/_eol/scsi_mac/apd-39160/

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