Re: Active SCSI terminators

[stever@news.gate.net (Steve Reeves)]

In article <381g73$dv3@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca>,
Gareth Jones <gareth@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca> wrote:
>I've heard about "Active SCSI terminators," and I'm wondering if one of 
>these could be the solution to the problem. So the questions are:
>
>1. Do these provide termination power to a HD that doesn't?
>2. Are they available in the 25-pin format that the LaCie has? (Not 50-pin).
>3. Any suggestions on a good place to get one?

You don't mention which SCSI card you have, but most Apple High Speed
SCSI cards do not supply termination power.  APS Technologies,
800-233-7550 or 816-483-6100, sells an active SCSI terminator called
the SCSI Sentry.  It monitors and regulates the voltage and impedance
of the SCSI lines and can also supply termination power (with a little
AC adaptor that plugs into it).  There are also a couple of LEDs on it
that can help in diagnosing SCSI handshaking problems.

The SCSI Sentry looks and functions like a regular (50 pin) pass-through
SCSI terminator.  You just plug it into the unused SCSI port of the last
device on the chain, or right before the last device if it has only one
SCSI port.  The gadget is a little pricey (about US$80), but may be worth
it if you don't have the courage or skill to modify your SCSI card
yourself. 

-- 
Steve Reeves
stever@gate.net