73GB Seagate SCSI Drive Won't Mount (LONG)

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73GB Seagate SCSI Drive Won't Mount (LONG)

Most of what is below was originally posted by me in mancalledsunn's; thread.

"Trying to replace my SCSI HD or Replace with an ATA in my B&W G3"

I've changed it some to post in this new thread.

Sorry for any confusion created by posting twice and thanks for any help.

--------------------------------------------------

My B&W came with 9.1 GB Quantum SCSI drive running off of an Adaptec 2940U2B Ultra 2 LVD/SE PCI SCSI card and I just added an eBay aquired "new pull" 73GB Seagate Cheetah SCSI drive to that particular SCSI bus (there are two other SCSI cards in two other PCI slots).

The 9.1 GB SCSI drive is in bay #1, a 10GB ATA drive is in bay #2 and I put the Seagate SCSI drive in bay #3 (bit of a shoehorn at 1-1/2 inches tall).

The Seagate drive is 80 pin with the converter card Grant mentioned (in the other thread) to adapt it to one of the available 68 pin connectors on the ribbon that connects the 9.1 GB drive to the SCSI card.

With the 9.1 GB drive set to ID=0 (no jumpers) I tried the Seagate jumpered to ID=1, ID=2 and ID=3, each in turn. There are no other SCSI devices on this SCSI bus, I have a SCSI scanner set to ID=5 but plugged into one of the other PCI SCSI cards which means it's on a separtate SCSI bus and should therefore be irrelevant SCSI ID-wise.

In all three instances, not only would the Seagate drive not mount but the 9.1 GB Quantum drive (boot drive) would not mount either. In other words, with the seagate attached, that entire SCSI bus is not functioning???!

At startup, after a few blinks of the dreaded flashing question mark (the B&W is hunting for OS9 on the invisible 9.1 GB boot drive) it defaulted to booting from OSX on the ATA drive and then only the ATA drive would mount.

If I shutdown and disconnect the seagate SCSI drive and reboot, the 9.1 GB SCSI drive would then (as the designated boot drive) startup the B&W and of course mount per normal along with the ATA drive.

It seems to me the two SCSI drives are behaving as though they both have same SCSI ID even though they don't.

Are there any other obvious/not so obvious considerations that influence this behavior?

Thanks for any insight.

Dennis van Dam

PS

Per Grants suggestion,(in other thread) I downloaded;

60409- Ultra SCSI Card 1.2 Firmware Update: Document and Software

but I haven't installed it because the Read Me repeatedly indicates it wants OS 8.6 present to execute the upgrade and pointedly makes no reference to any version of OS9 which is what I'm running. I'm thinking because I'm running OS 9.2.2 that I have more recent firmware and could be gumming up the works by installing the referenced and possibly outdated 8.6 compliant firmware?

---------------------------------------

Now if the above isn't long winded enough, I've gone on to try the following since I first posted most of whats above in the other thread about 24 hours ago. (Again sorry for the confusion)

I designated the 10GB ATA drive/OSX as the startup drive.

I took the 9.1 GB Quantum SCSI drive out altogether and in it's place in bay #1 connected the 73 GB Seagate SCSI drive.

I then restarted the B&W 15 times, each time changing the SCSI ID of the seagate from ID=0 through ID= 15 skipping ID=7 since that is assigned to the PCI SCSI card running that bus. I realize with the seagate as the only device on the that SCSI bus, that SCSI ID should not be an issue but I did't know what else to try. Anyway it was all for naught because the SCSI drive would not mount with any ID.

With the B&W booted in OSX, I also opened Disk Utility and it cannot see the seagate drive either (to format it if that's what is needed).

Anyway, I'm a day into this now and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Dennis van Dam

400mhz G3 B&W G3 500mhz G3 Pismo

Posted on Mar 25, 2007 12:19 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eustace Mendis

Level 7

25,416 points

Mar 25, 2007 8:36 AM in response to dvandam

With the B&W booted in OSX, I also opened Disk Utility and it cannot see the seagate drive either (to format it if that's what is needed).

Does OS X see the card? Before X can see the drive, it has to see the card. (What you need to do to get that to happen depends on the card brand and model.) In my experience, once the card is working, X is excellent at recognizing scsi devices.

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Answer 2

Jeff

Level 6

12,136 points

Mar 25, 2007 9:39 AM in response to dvandam

Are all of the installed SCSI controller cards Mac-compatible and what is the manufacturer/model of the second controller card that you added? How are you terminating the bus to which the 73 GB Seagate drive is installed?

" I'm thinking because I'm running OS 9.2.2 that I have more recent firmware and could be gumming up the works by installing the referenced and possibly outdated 8.6 compliant firmware?"

The firmware update reprograms the EEPROM chip on the controller card, replacing the original firmware with a newer version. The firmware version of the card can be determined, using the Apple System Profiler. If the card is the Mac version and is listed, click on the small triangle next to it and look at the details provided, especially the revision number. The card's firmware version has nothing to do with the computer's own firmware or the current installed OS version. The OS version is only a factor, if you want to run a pre-OS X program - like the firmware update. OS 8.6 was indicated, because it was the current release at the time that the firmware update was released. You may determine that the card's firmware has already been updated, if you acquired it secondhand.

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Answer 3

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2007 1:56 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

With the B&W booted in OSX, I also opened Disk
Utility and it cannot see the seagate drive either
(to format it if that's what is needed).

Does OS X see the card? Before X can see the
drive, it has to see the card. (What you need to do
to get that to happen depends on the card brand and
model.) In my experience, once the card is working, X
is excellent at recognizing scsi devices.

Hello Eustace,

The Apple System Profiler (in both OS9 and OSX) does see the three SCSI cards I have loaded into each of the three 33mhz PCI slots.

The card in question is Adaptec 2940U2B Ultra 2 LVD/SE which, along with the 9.1 GB Quantum Viking SCSI drive, are Apple original equipment that came in the B&W when I bought it brand new. The card is connected to the Quantum SCSI drive with the Apple original pale yellow 68 pin ribbon with a terminator (permanently?) attached to the ribbon end and sticky taped to the top of the Quantum drive. (Which I now have un-sticky tapped but I don't think that has any bearing on the situation.)

Before introducing the Seagate SCSI drive, the above has always worked perfectly. As soon as the Seagate is plugged into one of the other two 68 pin connectors on the ribbon (power also connected of course) both SCSI drives drop out and I'm left with just the one ATA drive.

I performed most of my iterative tests with the case open and I can hear all of the components fairly acutely. For instance, when functioning the 9.1 GB Quantum SCSI drive makes noise very distinctive from the 10 GB ATA drive. So far as I can tell, the Seagate is not spinning up at all but with the ATA drive going and the case fans going I can't be 100 percent certain of this.

Thanks for the reply,

Dennis van Dam

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Answer 4

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2007 2:04 PM in response to Jeff

Are all of the installed SCSI controller cards
Mac-compatible and what is the manufacturer/model of
the second controller card that you added?

Hello Jeff,

I assume that all three SCSI controller cards are Mac compatible because the devices they are connected to all work on the B&W. As I explained to Eustace, the card running the SCSI drive(s) is Apple original Adaptec 2940U2B Ultra 2 LVD/SE (labelled AHA-2940U2B/MAC APPLE).

The other two SCSI cards, added afterwards, are also Adaptec. One is labelled AHA-2930CU/Apple2 Mac which runs a SCSI slide scanner(disconnected for all of this) and the other is labelled AVA-2906 (no reference to Apple/Mac) which runs a flatbed scanner (ID=5 but also disconnected for most of this). After trying everything I had, I did take both these additional SCSI cards out of the B&W but it made no difference.

How are

you terminating the bus to which the 73 GB Seagate
drive is installed?

Termination is factory original on the end of the pale yellow 68 pin ribbon sticky taped (now unstickied) to the top of the Quantum SCSI drive in bay #1. The terminator (FoxConn brand) says "MLVD Terminator" on one side and "410-0000-018 FOR PLUG TYPE" and "410-0000-019 FOR IDC TYPE" on the other side. (Most of what I've read up on termination goes right over my head.)

" I'm thinking because I'm
running OS 9.2.2 that I have more recent firmware and
could be gumming up the works by installing the
referenced and possibly outdated 8.6 compliant
firmware?"

The firmware update reprograms the EEPROM chip on the
controller card, replacing the original firmware with
a newer version. The firmware version of the card
can be determined, using the Apple System Profiler.
If the card is the Mac version and is listed, click
on the small triangle next to it and look at the
details provided, especially the revision number.

Even though both OS9 and OSX System Profilers see all three SCSI controller cards the information they provide is both limited and cryptic.

For the 2940U2B(running the SCSI drive) OS9 ASP indicates "Card ROM #: Not Available"

(The ROM is the firmware, correct? Could the fact it can't ID the firmware for OEM component be telling?...the ROM # for the other 2 Adapdec cards ARE identified)

OSX System Profiler doesn't indicate ROM numbers at all, it's not one of the listed parameters unless it can be inferred from one of the other cryptic parameters.

The card's firmware version has nothing to do with
the computer's own firmware or the current installed
OS version. The OS version is only a factor, if you
want to run a pre-OS X program - like the firmware
update. OS 8.6 was indicated, because it was the
current release at the time that the firmware update
was released. You may determine that the card's
firmware has already been updated, if you acquired
it secondhand.

The card is factory original, I bought the B&W brand new in April of 1999 and the Read me that comes with the v1.2 firmware update is dated June 1999 so I'm going to deduce I should go ahead and run the update. It might not help but all indications are it's not likely to hurt.

Jeff, thanks for the reply, I will post back after I update the SCSI controller firmware.

Dennis van Dam

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Answer 5

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2007 3:45 PM in response to dvandam

Jeff,

In OS9 with just the 9.1 GB SCSI drive on the bus, I started the firmware updater application which indicated the following;

"Power Domain 2940U2B in slot J9 currently using firmware version 1.0.4 can be updated to firmware 1.2"

Very nice, would that all updaters, error messages, etc be so concisely informative.

I went ahead and got that updated and after a couple of heart stopper restarts wherein the B&W did not immediately recognize OS9 on the 9.1 GB SCSI drive(it had to be redesignated as startup OS/drive) got everything settled down and working per normal.

ASP now IDs the SCSI card firmware as ROM # 1.2 and even added its proper name "ADPT, 2940U2B" and model number "ADPT, 1757800-00" which it had previously labelled somewhat generically "scsi" and "ADAPTEC".

However when I put the Seagate back on the bus both SCSI drives drop out again. I can hear the 9.1 GB Quantum try to do something with a short burst of sticato but then it stops (although it might still be spinning. No sound at all out of the Seagate. Then the B&W defaults to starting from the ATA drive which is all that mounts.

Changing tack altogether, could any of this turn on the drive jumper settings besides those set for SCSI ID?

The label on the Seagate indicates jumpers can be set for;

Parity Disable
Write Protect
Motor Start Enable (seems like this needs to be enabled?!)
Delay Motor Start
Force Single Ended

(non of these have jumpers set)

I've been to Seagate website and they don't even acknowledge the existance of my particular model ST173404LCV so no help there. Other website indicates setting a jumper for a listed function doesn't necessarily mean "enabled", sometimes it means "disabled" so I'm at a loss as to what the status for these are on the Seagate.

How dangerous is it to set jumpers for these functions by trial and error?

Thanks for the reply,

Dennis van Dam

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Answer 6

Mar 25, 2007 4:12 PM in response to dvandam

Parity Disable
Write Protect
Motor Start Enable (seems like this needs to be enabled?!)
Delay Motor Start
Force Single Ended
(non of these have jumpers set)
I've been to Seagate website and they don't even acknowledge the existance of my particular model ST173404LCV so no help there. Other website indicates setting a jumper for a listed function doesn't necessarily mean "enabled", sometimes it means "disabled" so I'm at a loss as to what the status for these are on the Seagate.
How dangerous is it to set jumpers for these functions by trial and error?

To take the last question first, it is not dangerous. This web page is a good description: http://www.storagereview.com/guide2000/ref/hdd/op/jumpSCSI.html

Allow me to suggest that you remove the sci drive that works and work only with the 73 gB drive. The challenge is to get that one to work, so I would isolate it. Once that is working, and you have the termination scheme sorted out, adding the 9 gB with an appropriate ID will be much simpler.

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Answer 7

Mar 25, 2007 6:46 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

If you have an OS 9 CD, you may be happier booting from that to work in OS 9. Many Utilities work fine under the CD.

When using the 80-pin adapter card, you do not use the jumpers on the drive, you use the jumpers on the adapter, and they have been standardized for all SCA-80 connectors.

You must be certain that the 4-pin Molex power connector is firmly attached to the adapter card, since that is what supplies drive power. On some models the computer door hits the power connector and applies pressure to it, so you may want to check the power connector for signs of strain.

There was an article on a Seagate 36GB drive with a similar number here:

Seagate ST136403LC tech data

It has a pointer for the download of a huge, boring document that contains definitions of the straps on the SCA-80 interface adapter:

[pin 77] Front panel LED OUT signal; indicates drive activity for host front panel hard drive activity indicator.
[pin 38] Asserted by host to enable Motor Start option (enables starting motor via SCSI bus command).
[pin 78] Asserted by host to enable Delayed Motor Start option (motor starts at power on or after a delay of 12 seconds times drive ID). This and [3] above are mutually exclusive options.
[pin 39,79,40,80] Binary code on A3, A2, A1 and A0 asserted by host to set up SCSI bus ID in drive.
[pin 46 DIFFSNS] GND provides a means for differential devices to detect the presence of a single ended device on the bus. Drive will not operate I/O bus at Ultra2 SCSI data rates if this is grounded.

[Note] Signals referenced above are used in place of installing jumpers and cables on option select connectors J2 and J6. See Section 8.1.1 notes.

As I read it, the Motor Start and Delay Start Jumpers should not be installed.

Which brings up another interesting issue. If you have an older, SE-only type adapter card, it may have many of the signals along one side of the SCA-80 connector (pins 47 through 73) grounded or wired together, and in particular, pin 46 will be connected to a ground.

If yours in a LVD-capable adapter, it should have signals going across its board from 68-pin to 80-pin for almost all signals.

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Answer 8

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2007 7:41 PM in response to Eustace Mendis

Eustace,

Your suggestion to work with only the Seagate drive on the SCSI bus makes sense. With the ATA drive to boot from, I can iterate through trial and error test fairly expiditiously.

So I set about trying each of the additional function jumpers in turn but still no joy. One immediate complication, my drive was supplied with 80 pin to 68 pin adapter identical to the one shown in this link (sorry no idea how to make it live)....(whups,looks like in preview mode it becomes automatically live - Cool);

http://www.moibotech.com/product/bv/bv_front.jpg

posted by Pat Hollins in the thread;

SCSI Question G3 300 B&W

Hope its OK for me to reference from Pats post this way.

Anyway, of the 8 jumper pin pairs on the right side only the top four pairs are "function" jumpers and they don't correspond exactly to the functions listed on the Seagate label in function type or quantity. The actual function jumpers I found underneath the drive, covered by the mounting sled, and they use a different size jumper than those that came for the connector adaptor. Bit ambiguous as to the significance of missing and differently labeled functions on converter card from actual jumpers diagrammed on label schematic. At any rate I jumpered all four available functions on the converter card (what ever they are) one at a time and nothing changed. Only other thing to try is jumper them in sets or just jumper all of them but again, I'm a bit leary of arbitrary trial and error without really knowing what I'm doing.

As far as termination goes theres a wealth of information out there and I can't see the trees for the forest.

Can I assume the built in terminator on the end of the Apple OEM ribbon cable (described in detail a few posts up in this thread) is suitable for the seagate drive?

If not, what particulars about the drive and related SCSI components do I go by to at least point me in a direction if not indicate specifically which termination configuration I need?

Not sure what to try next.

Time to give this a rest and go drink a beer. (-8

Eustace, thanks for the reply I really do appreciate it,

Dennis van Dam

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Answer 9

Mar 25, 2007 8:48 PM in response to dvandam

My theory:

1) You have a terminator that does LVD, but not also SE. Almost any you buy today would do both LVD and be backward compatible to SE. Since yours was not clearly marked "LVD/SE" it may not be capable of SE mode.

2) You have an adapter that does NOT do LVD. Only SE. But it may not know how to signal that to the rest of the SCSI Bus. On an LVD-capable adapter, pin 16 on the 68-pin connector is DIFFSENS, If pin 16 is wired to the adjacent pin 15, which is a ground, you have an SE-only adapter. My old SE-only adapter has a very fat trace that connects 15, 16 on the top with 49, 50 on the bottom. My LVD-capable adapters have pin 16 wired to pin 46 on the SCA-80 connector.

So when you hook up the Seagate drive, it drops into SE mode, but is not properly terminated for SE mode and cannot work.

And if that theory holds up to further scrutiny, you should get a new adapter that is Ultra/160 or Ultra/320 -rated.

suggested research:
IS your 9 GB SCSI drive an LVD-capable drive? If not, my theory is dead.

If that terminator is removable, buy a different one that has an LED that changes color for LVD, SE, and other. Most terminators with LEDs may be designed to go on the second outlet on an external case, and will be male, but you want one that has an LED and can go on the cable.

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Answer 10

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2007 9:25 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

If you have an OS 9 CD, you may be happier booting
from that to work in OS 9. Many Utilities work fine
under the CD.

Actually I do have such a CD but due to minor logistical problem related to monitor I'm testing with, I can't go this route just now but will keep it in mind.

When using the 80-pin adapter card, you do not use
the jumpers on the drive, you use the jumpers on the
adapter, and they have been standardized for all
SCA-80 connectors.

Ahh. This sort of answers question I asked Eustice above. So don't worry about missing functions on adapter as compared to actual jumpers at J2 (function options) and J6-J5 (SCSI address IDs) on the drive as indicated on drive schematic. Very well.

You must be certain that the 4-pin Molex power
connector is firmly attached to the adapter card,
since that is what supplies drive power.

It is absolutely seated all the way.

On some

models the computer door hits the power connector and
applies pressure to it, so you may want to check the
power connector for signs of strain.

Yeah I noticed that. With the 80-pin adapter card installed to the connector end of the drive, the drive won't fit into bay #1 at all and it's very tight lengthwise in the other two bays. Once it became apparent I was going to be reseting things dozens of times I pulled the B&W out of its dedicated cubby hole and set it up on the table so I could work with it case open (keeping boot sessions as short as possible to not over heat hardware).

Currently all three drives are unsecured from the case floor to ease and assure disconnection and reconnection of signal and power cabling and the lid is open so at this stage of diagnostics the lid impinging on power cables is not an issue.

(It IS a complete pecker to secure the drive/sled first and then connect the adapter and SCSI and power cables which is the only order of assembley possible to connect and secure everything. Somebody in an other thread suggested, for adapter carded drives, leaving the drive sled unsecured to the case floor so that it will set back into the width of the case another 1/4 inch or so and relieve some of the strain you describe caused by the adapter card protruding. Once I sort out the main problem I will have to come up with something like this to keep lid from impinging on adapter card.)

There was an article on a Seagate 36GB drive with a
similar number here:

Seagate ST136403LC tech
data

It has a pointer for the download of a huge, boring
document that contains definitions of the straps on
the SCA-80 interface adapter:

[pin 77] Front panel LED OUT signal;
indicates drive activity for host front panel hard
drive activity indicator.
[pin 38] Asserted by host to enable Motor Start
option (enables starting motor via SCSI bus command).

[pin 78] Asserted by host to enable Delayed Motor
Start option (motor starts at power on or after a
delay of 12 seconds times drive ID). This and [3]
above are mutually exclusive options.
[pin 39,79,40,80] Binary code on A3, A2, A1 and A0
asserted by host to set up SCSI bus ID in drive.
[pin 46 DIFFSNS] GND provides a means for
differential devices to detect the presence of a
single ended device on the bus. Drive will not
operate I/O bus at Ultra2 SCSI data rates if this is
grounded.

[Note] Signals referenced above are used in place of
installing jumpers and cables on option select
connectors J2 and J6. See Section 8.1.1 notes.

As I read it, the Motor Start and Delay Start Jumpers
should not be installed.

At this point I'm quite willing to take your word for it. (-8

I downloaded both PDF manuals at the website for the 36 GB Seagate. Can't help but notice these are longer than VCR manuals. (-8 But will put my game face on and see what there is to see.

At a glance this is identical to my drive, I have the J6(J5) and J2 connectors on the drive logic board just as the diagram at the link indicates. Also at glance I can pick some snippets of useful info out of what you quote from the link, such as the 12 second delay times (multiplied by?) SCSI ID. On each reboot with the Seagate I have given it plenty of time to mount after the ATA drive already has, if this delay phenomena is at all relevant. Not sure what I can do with the pin out assignments but I suppose it gives useful insight to have some idea of the various functions so that I might get a clue what direction to go in.

Which brings up another interesting issue. If you
have an older, SE-only type adapter card, it may have
many of the signals along one side of the SCA-80
connector (pins 47 through 73) grounded or wired
together, and in particular, pin 46 will be connected
to a ground.

If yours in a LVD-capable adapter, it should have
signals going across its board from 68-pin to 80-pin
for almost all signals.

The SCSI controller is LVD/SE so it should go both ways, so to speak? In other words this should not be an issue for me? On this subject can I conclude that because both the 9.1 GB Quantum and the 73 GB Seagate are 68/80 pin connectored they are both LVD compliant (I know the Segate is but is the Quantum?) And if so everything on that bus should operate at LVD data transfer rates, correct? If the Quantum is not LVD then it will default the whole bus to narrow SCSI or SE speeds, right? (All of which is neither here nor there if I can't figure out how to get the Segate going.)

Grant, thanks very much for the reply, will digest this as best I can over next few days.

Dennis van Dam

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Answer 11

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2007 10:55 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

My theory:

1) You have a terminator that does LVD, but not also
SE. Almost any you buy today would do both LVD and be
backward compatible to SE. Since yours was not
clearly marked "LVD/SE" it may not be capable of SE
mode.

2) You have an adapter that does NOT do LVD. Only SE.
But it may not know how to signal that to the rest of
the SCSI Bus. On an LVD-capable adapter, pin 16 on
the 68-pin connector is DIFFSENS, If pin 16 is wired
to the adjacent pin 15, which is a ground, you have
an SE-only adapter. My old SE-only adapter has a very
fat trace that connects 15, 16 on the top with 49, 50
on the bottom. My LVD-capable adapters have pin 16
wired to pin 46 on the SCA-80 connector.

I have the 68 to 80 pin adapter card off of the Seagate and a quick peruse of the traces on either side of the card indicate all traces from the pins on the 68 pin connector either lead up to the 50 pin connector or down to the 80 pin connector. None of the 68 pin connector pins appear to be mutual. But thats just at a glance, I will educate myself and scrutinize more closely.

So when you hook up the Seagate drive, it drops into
SE mode, but is not properly terminated for SE mode
and cannot work.

And if that theory holds up to further scrutiny, you
should get a new adapter that is Ultra/160 or
Ultra/320 -rated.

Grant,

I can follow your reasoning and will definately follow up.

suggested research:
IS your 9 GB SCSI drive an LVD-capable drive? If not,
my theory is dead.

Well we are reading and posting a bit out of sync here but I just asked that very question in my last reply to your last post (preceding this one). I wasn't considering it for the same reason you were, but I assume the Quantum IS LVD capable because of the native 68 pin connector on it but I'm just not SCSI savy enought to know whether this is an over simplification or not. Nothing on the drive itself points one way or the other. (I'm holding the Quantum in my hand and the dang label is partially destroyed because that's where the terminator was sticky taped onto it. Will follow up on this as well.

If that terminator is removable, buy a different one
that has an LED that changes color for LVD, SE, and
other. Most terminators with LEDs may be designed to
go on the second outlet on an external case, and will
be male, but you want one that has an LED and can go
on the cable.

The terminator does NOT appear to be removable but if I need to get a new one how much more expensive could an integrated ribbon or ribbon to attach a removable terminator to be? Not (too awful) much I wouldn't think.

If I understand correctly the Seagate function turns on the 68 to 80 pin adapter card mounted to the Seagate being SE capable only in conjuction with the terminator being LVD capable only. If these two statments are each true the two components are functionally mutually exclusive. Either get the terminator to go SE or get the Seagate connector adapter to go LVD (which would be the preferred solution.)

Grant, you've given me plenty to think about, I really appreciate the feed back (and everybody elses as well.)

Guess I better keep on Googling.

Dennis van Dam

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Answer 12

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 26, 2007 2:26 AM in response to dvandam

Which brings up another interesting issue. If you
have an older, SE-only type adapter card, it may

have

many of the signals along one side of the SCA-80
connector (pins 47 through 73) grounded or wired
together, and in particular, pin 46 will be

connected

to a ground.

If yours in a LVD-capable adapter, it should have
signals going across its board from 68-pin to

80-pin

for almost all signals.

The SCSI controller is LVD/SE so it should go both
ways, so to speak? In other words this should not
be an issue for me? On this subject can I conclude
that because both the 9.1 GB Quantum and the 73 GB
Seagate are 68/80 pin connectored they are both LVD
compliant (I know the Segate is but is the Quantum?)
And if so everything on that bus should operate at
LVD data transfer rates, correct? If the Quantum is
not LVD then it will default the whole bus to narrow
SCSI or SE speeds, right? (All of which is neither
here nor there if I can't figure out how to get the
Segate going.)

Grant, thanks very much for the reply, will digest
this as best I can over next few days.

Dennis van Dam

Grant,

Just a clarification, at this point in the conversation, I thought by "older, SE-only type adapter card" you were refering to the SCSI controller card hence my somewhat irrelevant reply following;

"The SCSI controller is LVD/SE so it should go both ways, so to speak?"

-----------------

But I caught up with most of what you were explaining in the your next post.

Still working on the rest of it.

Dennis

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Answer 13

Mar 26, 2007 6:28 AM in response to dvandam

RE: the problem with the Molex 4-pin power connector being nudged by the closing case door.

I solved this problem for one system by buying a 4-pin Molex "splitter" or "extender" cable. It has the female Molex connector and some wire... it does not matter what else.

I cut off [read destroyed] the female Molex connector on the 68-to-80 adapter board and cleared the holes of solder. Then I substituted the wires and female Molex connector from my splitter or extender cable (still trailing a few inches of wire). That allowed the bulky male/female Molex junction to be moved a few inches away and rotated in space -- out of the way of the closing door.

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Answer 14

Mar 26, 2007 6:47 AM in response to dvandam

If you are looking for a steady, reliable source for SCSI stuff, the vendor below has lots of different items. They may not be the absolute cheapest, but they do not charge gold-plated prices, and offer substantial warranties.

They also have a large presence on eBay, but prices there may be about the same.

http://www.mcpb.com/

Their top item under 68-to-80 adapters should do the trick for US$10 plus shipping. It is rated for U/160 and U/320 operation. SCA-80 and SCA2-80 are plug-compatible. My understanding is that SCA2 has a few more safeguards for "hot-plugging", such as longer ground pins and slightly better alignment mechanism.

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Answer 15

dvandam Author

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2007 5:26 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Grant,

Just a quick note. Research you have pointed me towards is under way. Progress (of sorts) is being made. I will post back as soon as what I've gathered up congeals to something conclusive.

Hey,.....this is SCSI we're talking about. (-8

If it wasn't for B&W Rev 1 motherboard achilles heel regarding ATA drives, I wouldn't have forrayed over this way to begin with. (-8

Very much appreciate the assistance from yourself and everybody else who replied.

Dennis van Dam

400mhz G3 B&W G3 500mhz G3 Pismo

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