HP SureStore 24i on FreeBSD

[Javi Lavandeira]

Hi,

I recently bought an HP SureStore 24i (SCSI2, 50 pins), but can't get it to work on FreeBSD. I guess I'm doing something wrong. This is my configuration:

The server is an Athlon @1.4Ghz on an Asus motherboard. The SCSI card is an Adaptec AHA3940UWD: two UltraSCSI (68 pins) channels. On the first channel I have a 18Gb UltraSCSI disk (and a terminator at the end of the cable), in single-ended mode. This is my system disk. On the second channel (a different cable, which is also 68 pins), I have connected the DAT drive using a 68<->50 pin adapter, on the SCSI ID 3, with another terminator at the end of this cable. It is recognized correctly at boot time:

sa0 at ahc1 bus 0 target 3 lun 0
sa0: Removable Sequential Access SCSI-2 device
sa0: 10.000MB/s transfers (10.000MHz, offset 15)

The switches in the unit are all ON, but switch number 3, which is OFF. The 'Clean' LED in the unit is off.
mt can see the unit correctly:

giskard:~# mt status
Mode Density Blocksize bpi Compression
Current: 0x25:DDS-3 variable 97000 DCLZ
---------available modes---------
0: 0x25:DDS-3 variable 97000 DCLZ
1: 0x25:DDS-3 variable 97000 DCLZ
2: 0x25:DDS-3 variable 97000 DCLZ
3: 0x25:DDS-3 variable 97000 DCLZ
---------------------------------
Current Driver State: at rest.
---------------------------------
File Number: 0 Record Number: 0 Residual Count 8192

However, this is what I get when I try an 'mt fsf 1':

Jan 8 02:22:08 giskard /kernel: (sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): SPACE. CDB: 11 1 0 0 1 0
Jan 8 02:22:08 giskard /kernel: (sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): BLANK CHECK req sz: 1 (decimal) asc:0,5
Jan 8 02:22:08 giskard /kernel: (sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): End-of-data detected

And if I try a 'mt erase':

(sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): WRITE FILEMARKS. CDB: 10 0 0 0 1 0
(sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): Deferred Error: MEDIUM ERROR asc:3b,0
(sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): Sequential positioning error field replaceable unit: 2
(sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): WRITE FILEMARKS. CDB: 10 0 0 0 1 0
(sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): Deferred Error: MEDIUM ERROR asc:3b,0
(sa0:ahc1:0:3:0): Sequential positioning error field replaceable unit: 2

Could I be doing anything wrong, or could the unit be damaged?

Thanks,

[Eugeny Brychkov]

Javi,
dip switches are set correctly for most unix configuration. Anyway, please check with http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SupportTaskIndex.jsp?locale=en_US&taskId=115&prodSeriesId=42846&prodTypeId=12169&supportTaskId=614 . Please try new just unpacked DDS3 HP tape to exclude bad tape possibility.
You can diagnose drive using HP LTT from http://www.hp.com/cposupport/information_storage/support_doc/lpg50128.html , but it only works on windows and hpux boxes, so to do it you need to reconnect drive to any of these hosts and install program
Eugeny

[Vincent Fleming · Accepted solution]

You say you're using a 68-50 pin adapter.... is that a terminated adapter? If not, try terminiating the high bits on the Adaptec adapter (in the BIOS)... it'll stop trying to use the higher 18 pins. (or should you terminate lower - I forget exactly... try high, and if that doesn't work, try just the low bits.)

Some of those 68-50 pin cables are terminated, and some are not. Don't forget the 50-pin terminator after the tape drive.

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

Vince

[Javi Lavandeira]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your replies. About adding a 50-pin terminator after the DAT drive, I'm already using a 68-pin terminator in the 68-pin ribbon. The DAT unit is directly plugged to the 68-50 pin adaptor, and the adapter is connected to the 68-pin cable. Should I have plugged a 50-pin ribbon to the adaptor and then plug the DAT drive to this ribbon, and a 50-pin terminator? I made a small diagram that shows this (sorry for the bad xfig graphics :)). I'm using the setup in figure A. Should I connect it like on figure B?

Anyway, later when I go back home I'll terminate the high bytes in the SCSI card's BIOS and let you know the result.

Thanks,

[Javi Lavandeira]

Hello again,

Looks like clicking in the clip doesn't display the PNG file I created with Xfig. I've uploaded a copy of it to my server. This is the URL:

http://www.ag0ny.com/misc/scsi.png