Re: Quantum Fireball with Ramfast

[o9938156@unicorn.it.wsu.edu (mark lyon)]

David Empson (dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz) wrote:
: In article <309cb8fa.2385063@news.demon.co.uk>,
: Soenke Behrens <sbehrens@contech.demon.co.uk> wrote:
: > dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote:
: > 
: > >"Reselection" is a feature of both SCSI-1 and SCSI-2.  It is not
: > >supported by the RamFast, since the RamFast doesn't support the
: > >arbitration phase, and has no SCSI ID of its own.
: > 
: > Fascinating. The RamFAST is _not_ a SCSI device?

: Well, it is, but it is a rather non-standard one.

: Every other SCSI controller I've seen does have its own SCSI ID.

: I haven't had a close look at the circuitry on the RamFast, but I
: assume it uses the standard NCR 5380 SCSI controller or a derivative.
: To avoid providing a SCSI ID, it must pretend that it is the same SCSI
: ID as the target device.

: This rules out any possibility of the RamFast ever being able to
: support SCSI arbitration and reselection features, as these require
: the initiator to provide a SCSI ID.

: I suppose it might be able to set a SCSI ID in software.  In that
: case, all that is required is a rewrite of the low-level SCSI firmware
: on the card.


: I've done a little more research on the reselection issue, and it is
: still unclear whether this is the problem that is preventing the
: Quantum Fireball from working with a RamFast.

: From a quick scan through the draft SCSI-2 standard, it appears that
: there is an option bit which allows the target device to disconnect,
: and I doubt the RamFast will be enabling this feature.

I have a Fireball 540, and I don't remember if anyone has said this, but
this is what happens with my RamFast.  First, I turn on the drive, then
when it is up to speed, I turn on the computer.  Very shortly, the drive
parks it's heads, spins down, and flashes error code 17 at me (I presume
that the drive access light blinking in the sequence long pause-one
flash-short pause-7 flashes means error code 17).  

I called LaCie to find out what this means, and the person I spoke to
told me that these drives have no error codes.  :P

Mark Marr-Lyon
o9938156@unicorn.it.wsu.edu

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