Seagate 32550N SCSI issues

[dsandez]

trying to be able to format teh drive, but when I look at the Adaptec 2940W BIOS, it says that I cannot even read the disk info, and has an error message. When I try to install a driver for the controller for linux, it installs, but teh system hangs at anaconda. Without the SCSI setup, the system will go allthe way thrun install. I even tried using an old ISA Data Technologies Corp SCSI controller, and the controller sees the drive (I cannot access teh BIOS), the linux kernel installs the DTC driver, but it hangs at anaconda too, then times out with a signal 7.

I have the jumpers on the disc set (for J1) at 1 & 2, for enabling the internal SCSI terminator on the drive. Other than that, everything is default, as well as the controllers.

Wierd, both controllers see the drive (they both call it a Compaq 32550N though), and my PC BIOS sees the cards, but I cannot get it to work with linux, and cannot get any disk size info from the Adaptec BIOS...need some help here,,,,

thanks, ds1919:mad:

[Peter M]

Some people have reportedly died of old age while trying to get the jumpermania on these Seagate drives right. Download the description from the archives at www.seagate.com and go through ALL the jumpers. Mind the termination power too.

regards, Peter

[dsandez]

thanks, I have gone over all the jumpers, and do have the settings manual for the drive. I have one of those very short SCSI cables that attaches directly from the controller to a single drive. the cable is only 5" in length. I set the internal terminator jumper on J1 to enable, so I shouldnt need an external terminator (nowhere to put one anyways). Here is my error codes, perhaps someone can desipher what they ALL mean together...

thanks, ds1919


Options -> SCSI Disk Utilities -> SCSI ID #0: COMPAQ ST32550N -> Verify Disk Media



Unexpected SCSI Command Failed


Target SCSI ID: 0
SCSI CDB Sent: 03 00 00 00 0E 00 F0 00 02 00
Host Adapter Status: 00h - No host adapter error
Target Status: 02h - Check condition
+Sense Key: 02h - Not ready
+Sense Code Qualifier: 02h



Options -> SCSI Disk Utilities -> SCSI ID #0: COMPAQ ST32550N -> Format Disk

SCSI ID #0 : COMPAQ ST32550N
Capacity: ---- MBytes
when I try to format the drive, I get the same prompt as above....

[Peter M]

SCSI requires at least 20cm (8") of cable between devices, and termination on both ends.

Set J1 TermPower to "to Drive, to Bus" (D) and enable termination (E). Set J2-5 to On and all others Off, use J4 to set your drive's ID to a value that differs from the host adapter's and connect an LED.

In the host adapter, enable sync transfers, disconnect, tagged queuing, set a unique ID, and enable termination.

If it still doesn't work, and drive says "not ready" apparently, then very possibly it isn't. Mind the "auto spin enable" and "delay spin" jumpers. Normally (and as I said above) you'd jumper that to auto-spin w/o delay.

regards, Peter

[dsandez]

thank you very much for the info. I found an 8" cable last night, so I will use that one.

Okay, for here are my settings:

JUMPER 1 -> TermPower to SCSI Bus and Drive
JUMPER 2 -> Enable Motor Start
JUMPER 4 -> SCSI ID set to "0" (the controller is 7 by default).

I do not understand what you are refering to when you say "Set J2-5 to On and all others Off", as there are only the three jumpers J1, J2, and J4. Could you explain what I am to do here?

Now here's something you may find intersting, on Jumper 2, I had two tumblers set on it. One was to enable motor start, but the other one was put on a "reserved" set. Is it supposed to be there, or did someone mess with these jumpers before I got the drive? I mean, are the "reserved" jumpers supposed to be empty, or should they have some tumblers set on them? I wont be able to test this configuration until tonight, but what you said makes a ton of sense....thank you!

[Peter M]

J2-5 means position #5 on J2. Reserved stuff should be left empty.

Peter

[dsandez]

<j2-5> gotcha.

I tried everything, and even found another St32550N. I tried every possible jumper setting on that one too, but I got the same results on that one as the first. I think the card may be the culprit. I have since given up on trying to get this thing to work, but I thank you for your knowledge and information. I have learned quite a bit about SCSI in the last week!

~./ds1919