Surestore DAT24 won't verify backups - does it need termination?

[CA1252434]

I have just installed a (used) HP C1537 DAT24 internal drive with a Tekram DC315U PCI SCSI adaptor.

All seems to go well, the drive is recognised and NTBackup backs up, but when it goes to verify the backup, after a long time, it reports "Hardware failure" and won't read any of the tape.

I have toggled the TERM PWR jumper and it makes no difference. The LTT tests just hang. The card claims to have automatic termination, but I cannot find terminators on the tape drive - does it need termination?

The tape drive is the only device connected to the card.

[meloni · Accepted solution]

Yes definitively you need a terminator, this terminator should be on the scsi cable (scsi cable with build in terminator, a small box at the end of the cable), Usualy with HP servers this cable in always present.
the autotermination feature is just active to terminate internaly(controller side) the bus.
the Power terminator has nothing to do whith scsi termination, it will provvide a hookup for the 5Volts in active terminators when the distance from the source may cause voltage dropping, usualy with long cables >12meters.

marino

[CA1252434]

Thanks very much for that. Are they just called a 50 pin internal SCSI cable with terminator?

[meloni]

If your HBA have a 50 pin connector internaly, yes you need a internal narrow cable with build in terminator

[CA1252434]

Thanks, I have managed to locate a terminator which you just pop onto the existing 50 pin ribbon cable, so that keeps it cheap. I must say I am bemused as to why they have removed the termination from the drive, it seems like bad design to me. Us old people expect every SCSI device to come with termination!

[meloni]

Yes, the terminator fit on the last scsi slot of the cable is fine.
In the early drive, there was the possibility to put an array of resistor directly on the internal drive, and this was an internal terminator.
they decided succesively to remove this feature on the next generation, I do not know why, but I think that it is because there was a lot of overtermination on the bus, and as all the HP servers came with a terminator on the cable, if you attach several scsi device on the bus you do not have to take care about the terminator for each device

marino

[Munir_1]

Daniel:
I would make sure the ribbon cable is terminated cable, and TERM PWR Jumper need to be jumped.
Run L&TT and update firmware and Run a Read/Write test.
Download L&TT from here: http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/ltt/index.html

Munir;

[meloni]

here is all you need :-)

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=lpg51246