Date: Wed, 14 Jun 1995 09:32:56 -0400 (EDT) From: Peter Dufault <dufault@hda.com> To: thomas@ghpc8.ihf.rwth-aachen.de (Thomas Gellekum) Cc: hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Problem adding a second SCSI disk on 1542CF Message-ID: <199506141332.JAA19021@hda.com> In-Reply-To: <199506140923.LAA01388@ghpc6.ihf.rwth-aachen.de> from "Thomas Gellekum" at Jun 14, 95 11:23:11 am
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Thomas Gellekum writes: (...) I'm not sure what to suggest other than cable problems with an early unmodified 1542C. >From the comp.periphs.scsi FAQ: ==== QUESTION: What is the problem with the Adaptec 1542C and external cables? ANSWER From: Scot Stelter, Adaptec (Product Manager for the AHA-1540) ==== Several articles lately have cited the importance of SCSI-2-compliant cables when cabling SCSI bus subsystems. Perhaps the most accurate and technically detailed one was published in Computer Technology Review in March (Volume XIII, No. 3. PP. 6). In short, it explains the double-clocking mechanism that can occur due to cables whose impedance falls below the 90-Ohm SCSI-2 spec. Steep edge speeds on the REQ and ACK lines of the SCSI bus exacerbate the problem, but non-compliant cables are the root cause. Both LAN TIMES in the US (5/24/93, page 115) and CT Magazine in Germany (7/93, page 18) cite this cable problem. In an extensive survey of cables available in the US and Europe, we found that more than half of the cables available have single-ended impedances in the 65 to 80 Ohm range -- below the 90 to 132 Ohms specified in the SCSI-2 spec. It seems that some (not all) cable vendors do not understand the specification, describing their cables as SCSI-2 compliant when they are not. A common misconception is that SCSI-2 means a high-density connector. In fact, there are several connector options. I have published a technical bulletin that summarizes the critical requirements (TB 001, April 1993). An artifact of its faster design left the AHA-1540C with faster edge-speeds than its predecessor, the AHA-1540B. As I have said, this can exacerbate the effect of bad cables. This explains why some users could get their AHA-1540B to work when an early AHA-1540C might not. Essentially, the 1540B was more forgiving than the early 1540Cs. Good cables fixed the problem, but unfortunately for the user, good cables are hard to find. After surveying the cable market and many of our customers, we decided that bad cables were going to be here for a while, and we had to make the 1540C as forgiving as the 1540B was. At the end of April we made a change to the AHA-1540C that involved using a passive filter to reduce the slew rate of the ACK line, the signal that the host adapter drives during normal data transfers. Extensive testing with many intentionally illegal configurations confirms that we succeeded. Prior to release, we tested the AHA-1540C with over 200 peripherals, systems and demanding software programs with no failures. Then, a second team retested the AHA-1540C across a wild combination of temperatures, humidities and other stresses. This testing gives me confidence that the AHA-1540 line continues to serve as the gold standard for SCSI compatibility. -- Peter Dufault Real Time Machine Control and Simulation HD Associates, Inc. Voice: 508 433 6936 dufault@hda.com Fax: 508 433 5267
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199506141332.JAA19021>