2600fx drive with AIC-7895 SCSi ( dual channel Adaptec )

[Juergen Schmidt]

Hi
I need help wit a 2600fx drive.
I am trying to connect it with an onboard scsi controller adaptec AIC-7895. This is a one chip, dual channel controller, ultra wide and it is not differential.

I connect it with channel B ( nothing else there )and whatever I change in controller bios
the controller hangs if I start scanning devices.
I fooled around with allmost every parameter without a result.

Who can give me a hint ?
J??rgen

[Eugeny Brychkov]

Try with addon Adaptec 2940UW adapter. Did you terminate SCSI bus correctly - with SE terminator? In addition please check drive's SCSI Id not to be the same as SCSI controller Id
Eugeny

[Juergen Schmidt]

Thank you for answering.
With 2940UW it works fine.
Channel A serves four SCSI devices, so I would like to use the onboard controller.
Termination should be ok, I use a original HP terminator.
Controller is at automatic termination ( I also tried low on high off ... and so on )


Controller uses ID 7, I tried the drive with ID 5 and 1.

May be it??s a combination of controller parameters.

Rgds
J??rgen

[Eugeny Brychkov]

Jurgen,
then drive is good.... try updating server/controller's firmware (and MO drive's firmware, use HP LTT from http://www.hp.com/cposupport/information_storage/support_doc/lpg50128.html ). Are you sure this SCSI controller/bios supports removable devices? Look for manual to be sure.
Just a hint... insert formatted MO disk into drive and try again. Maybe bios is hanging trying to get disk's properties
Eugeny

[Eric de Lange_2]

Hello Juergen,

When you tested with the 2940UW controller, did you use the same cable as used when connecting to the onboard controller ?

Secondly, this onboard controller, does it report a firmware version when you boot the system and (important) is there perhaps a BIOS upgrade available from the MoBo manufacturer that made the motherboard ? for Netservers for instance, upgrading the BIOS will also upgrade the SCSI BIOS. This is something that you best check with your server/system supplier.

3rdly, is there a difference in behavior when you change the SCSI-id's of the library/drives in the jukebox ? (a reset to factory defaults may help.)

Also, make sure no media is loaded in Optical drive when booting.

hth,

-Eric

[Juergen Schmidt]

Hi Eugeny,
the controller supports removable disks, and this option is ON.
I just spoke to a collegue and we think it??s somewhere in termination.
There is a 68 pin mini-sca plug on the board and on the drive there is a 50 pin centronics
connector cable ( the drive is extern).

So when I will try termination high on an some combination with UW Negotiation.

Rgds
J??rgen

[Eugeny Brychkov]

I think you should turn off ultra and wide options and turn off wide negotiation as well (as soon as drive is SE narrow). You need conversion cable 68-50 pin and 50 pin SE terminator at the end - in another SCSI connector on the drive. Maybe your problem because of termination or this 68-50 cable. Also please make sure controller has built-in termination turned on
Eugeny

[Juergen Schmidt]

Hi Eric,
when testing with the 2940 I used a external 50/50 cable.
Firmware release I have to check first, and look for updates.

I moved out the drive from ext and fixed it internal, to use the narrow port of SCSI - it did not work.
Then I tried it with the 2940 and internal flat cable - don??t work.

May be it was a mistake to use 68/50 cable.
Now it it not responding at all.

I have to open a HP-call now to check the drive.

Rgds
J??rgen

[Juergen Schmidt]

Hi all,

It was just a "real" hardware problem.
I changed the drive and, how funny - it works.
I is working now at the internal narrow port.

But the good thing on it - I changed to a 5200ex drive free.

Rgds
J??rgen

[Eugeny Brychkov]

Excellent! Now you can upgrade to 5.2GB disk and store twice more data
Eugeny
PS. http://us-support3.external.hp.com/estaff/bin/doc.pl/forward/screen=estaffAssistance/sid=a1243f2e0f71836e21?Page=file0002#forpoints
Eugeny