StoreEver Tape Storage
1748255 Members
4020 Online
108760 Solutions
New Discussion юеВ

Re: DAT8 and Adaptec 29160

 
SOLVED
Go to solution
Alan Morris_5
Occasional Advisor

DAT8 and Adaptec 29160

This is an old problem brought to a head by an ailing motherboard. I could never get the DAT8 to reliably backup (NT Backup - Windows 2000 server) using the 29160. On writing it will just run off the end of the tape and flash the clean me light. I got around the problem by installing an old Adpatec 1540 ISA card with which the DAT8 worked just fine. However the server has blown up and has been replaced - but no ISA slots. So I have retried the 29160 again. Same problem! I have the latest (old now) drivers, I have set the 29160 to not negotiate wide and have set the transfer rate to 5Mb.
Any suggestions? Anyone else had this kind of problem?
5 REPLIES 5
Marino Meloni_1
Honored Contributor

Re: DAT8 and Adaptec 29160

Main problem is due to the diffenrent scsi bus you have: the DAT 8 is a narrow SE device, the connector on the 29160 is a wwide lvd one.
the connection could work but you need to check some points:

You have to terminate the bus not only on the 50 pin connector of the DAT, but you have to terminate the whole 68 pin connector, that mean all 16 bit data not just the 8bit (narrow mode).
If your unit is an internal one, you may already have a 68 pin cable with built in terminator and an adapter 68/50 pin for dat connection , in that case, select narrow communication in the bios of HBA, and 20 M/b sec
If your unit is an external one, you need a special cable with higher 8 bit termination which will convert 68HD to 50 pin connector.
Remenber on each case, set to Narrow, not wide

marino
Alan Morris_5
Occasional Advisor

Re: DAT8 and Adaptec 29160

marino,

Thanks your answer. I am using DATE8e. The card I am using (29160) has only a 50 pin external connector and the card is set to auto for termination, so I assume that it auto terminates the high end. I have played with this before and ended up with the card giving termination warnings when I used manual settings - I could try again I guess but I would have thought that the auto setting should be OK. The DAT8e has the external terminator plugged in.

Marino Meloni_1
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: DAT8 and Adaptec 29160

ok, so you have a dat 8 external,
the 29160 have a 50 pin external connector

you need to set auto termination on the HBA, this is need because it will manage the termination when you connect internal and external devices on the same scsi channel (even if they are differents connectors, internal and external cables are connected to the same scsi controller) if both are connected, the termination on the HBA shoud be disable, if you have just internal or external connection, HBA termination should be enable.

The termination of the high end of the scsi bus is needed when you have a 68pin connector on the 29160 and you attach a 50 pin device external (so you do not need if you scsi card provvide a 50 pin connector)

the external Dat shoud have a SE terminator on the second scsi connector.

The hba should be set to Narrow mode, 5,10 20 MB/s is ok

Seems all is ok in your setting exept the Narrow mode. this is a must with 8bit tape drive
Alan Morris_5
Occasional Advisor

Re: DAT8 and Adaptec 29160

Marino,

Thanks again,

I have set the Adaptec SCSIselect Utility to always terminate the SE end. On the (fairly comprehensive) test I have done so far this seems to have cracked the problem.

I still don't understand why for 2 reasons. One the setting was set to 'automatic' which is the factory and recommended setting by Adpatec. Two since it is an SE interface anyway and is terminated by a terminator od the DAT8e - what is it doing? Baffles me - you have any ideas about this.

Alan