Re: HDD Faq?

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Al Stramiello <docal1000@email.msn.com> wrote:

> I have an APPLE SCSI card. I don't know if it's revision C or not.

It may help to narrow down the problem if this question can be answered.

For starters, is it the original Apple SCSI card, or the high-speed one?

The clearest identification is that the original card has a row of eight
jumpers (for settings the SCSI ID of the card itself), while the
high-speed card has a four position DIP switch.  The other major
distinguishing factor is that the original card has a large 40-pin
rectangular dual-in-line chip, while the high-speed card has two 44-pin
socketed square chips.

Assuming it is the original card, the revision C firmware can be
identified by noting the identification number on the EPROM label.  The
revision C firmware is 341-0437-A.

If the label is 341-0112A or 341-0112B, you have the revision A or B
firmware respectively.

There is only one firwmare revision for the high-speed card (I don't
have its number handy).

> I have a 40mb Conner drive in a Quality Computers SCSI enclosure. The
> drive is set as device 6 (although I tried other device numbers, also),
> and I believe it is self-terminating (someone told me that if there were a
> series of orange boxes on the card in the enclosure, then it is
> self-terminating).

Internal termination on older drives is usually a row of three yellow
single-in-line resistor packs (each of which is about an inch long),
inserted into sockets near the SCSI connector on the drive mechanism.

Your description sounds close enough, as long as you knew where to look.

It would also be worthwhile confirming that the termination is actually
present.  If this is the original mechanism as supplied by Quality
Computers, and you didn't change anything, then it would be terminated.

> I had it set up and running in slot 2, and then I changed slot 2 to modem.
> When I changed it back and tried to boot to slot 2, nothing will see or
> recognize the HDD, and I have no way of telling if the card or the HDD is
> the problem, or if it is settings. I tried the card in each of the 7 slots
> in two different ROM-1 machines, and it would not boot or be recognized in
> either, in any slot.

Right.  Some potential problems that we can eliminate:

I'll take it as read that you followed the correct procedure for
changing the slot settings (saving the changes in the Control Panel, and
rebooting before trying to use them).

If you have the original SCSI card, make sure there is a jumper on the
innermost pair (between pins 8 and 9).  This ensures the SCSI card is
set to ID 7.

Double check the SCSI cable connection - unplug it at both ends and
reconnect it.  You might also like to try the other connector on the
drive enclosure.  As always, make sure the power is off (both drive and
computer) before playing with SCSI connections.

The next thing to do is to try booting manually from the SCSI card.  To
do this, get into BASIC (press Control-Reset from the "Check Startup
Device" screen, if necessary), and assuming the card is in slot 2, type
PR#2.

When booted in this manner, the Apple High-Speed card says "SCSI BOOT
ERROR" if it cannot locate the drive.  I'm not sure whether the original
card does this (I'd have to set one up in a machine - I only have
high-speed cards in my active machines).

If you see a message like this, it at least proves that the computer is
able to communicate with the firwmare on the SCSI card.

Beyond that, we're getting into SCSI voodoo territory.  If I had the
equipment in front of me, my inclination would be to start swapping
components (card, cable, drive, or even the computer itself) until I
found a combination which worked.  I expect your options are limited
here.

It is a rather odd coincidence that the problem coincided with disabling
the slot which contained the card.  It could be a latent hardware
problem that just decided to manifest itself.  Without any more
information to go on, I'd be more inclined to suspect the card or
computer.

What other cards (if any) are in the machine?

You didn't say so explicitly, but you obviously have a IIgs.  Which ROM
version is it, and what system software do you normally use?

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand