Re: SyQuest and Apple DMA SCSI card

[paw@ausom.oz.au (Peter Watson)]

slhood@bluemoon.use.com (Stephen L. Hood) writes:

>I have an Apple DMA SCSI card in my ROM 01 IIGS.  I am using a SyQuest 44
>megabyte removable hard drive and a Quantum 85 megabyte hard drive with
>this card.  After several severe headaches, I was able to get both drives
>working together (and with the proper partition booting first) by manually
>yanking all internal resistors and terminating the chain externally. The
>system now boots the Quantum 85 properly.

I also have a ROM 01 GS with a DMA SCSI card, 44Mb SyQuest and a 40 Mb hard
drive (MiniScribe mechanism). Sure, you have to make sure you don't have
excess termination - but that's always been a "given" for multiple SCSI
devices. I have internal termination on the hard disk, which lives at the end
of the chain, and the SyQuest was always externally terminated. My boot order
is determined by the SCSI id (ie. the hard disk boots first if it is powered
on).

>I am experiencing two small problems, however.
>
>1.  When going to ProDOS 8 from GS/OS, the system pauses at the splash
>screen to check the SCSI chain.  It scans the Quantum, and then scans the
>SyQuest.  However, if I do not have a cartridge in the SyQuest (usually I
>don't), the system hangs, reading the drive continuously.

I haven't actually checked, but I do not recall ever seeing this problem.
On the other hand, I normally keep a cartridge in the drive - is there any
particular reason that you don't? There were potential problems before ProDOS
8 v2.01 with too many partitions/devices, but that's not normally a problem
any more.

>2.  From GS/OS, it usually takes two to three tries before the GS
>recognizes an inserted cartridge.  Since inserting a cartridge and waiting
>for it to spin up to speed takes over 15 seconds, this gets to be annoying.

It always works first time for me! Are you sure you have the latest SCSI
driver/manager files, ie. from System 6 disks? The drivers that shipped with
the card have been superseded.

>I'm pretty sure this is the fault of the Apple DMA SCSI card, which I know
>isn't exactly the best at handling removable media.  My question, then, is
>this:  is there a GS/OS driver available for the SyQuest and the DMA SCSI
>card?  Or should I junk it and get a RAMFast rev.D v3.0 1 meg?  (Keep in
>mind that the former would be preferable due to finances...)

Not only have I been using a SyQuest successfully, I have recently been loaned
a SCSI 1.4Mb floppy drive to "play with". While there are one or two hiccups
(I have no specs of any sort!), it basically works fine with the DMA SCSI
card. I have even managed to partition a 1.4Mb floppy disk! I'm inclined to
think that the DMA SCSI card handles removable media just fine! (OK, I haven't
tried a floptical drive yet - anyone want to donate one....?)

BTW, the interface card on the SCSI floppy drive has markings of 'CATSCO
679-0707-001', with ROMs marked 'SFC 04' and 'SFC 10'. Has anyone ever heard
of these boards? (For some reason, I recall the word 'TORCH' on the card as
well, but I couldn't find it when I just looked.)

>Thanks for any advice!

Why do I have the feeling that you might have a flaky SyQuest drive or
interface? I had some severe problems with my first SyQuest - which turned out
to be the drive itself!

>| Stephen L. Hood                  Ask me about GNO/ME, the multitasking |
>|  Micro Center, Inc.                    environment for the Apple IIGS! |
>|  slhood@bluemoon.rn.com                  "My Woz, my Woz, why have you |
>|  slhood@pro-works.cts.com                               abandoned me?" |

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