hanging with a 2940AU

[Doug Ledford]

Frederic Baumann wrote:
> 
> This is my first post to this mailing list.
> 
> I've just bought a Nikon CoolScan II scanner, and a SCSI board to plug
> it in my PC. I've tried both a Tekram DC390U, and now an Adaptec
> 2940AU.
> 
> The Tekram works, but only before I start XFree86 (using a PCI video
> board STB Velocity 3D) !!
> 
> For the 2940AU, I've tried with two versions of software :
> 
> * Linux 2.0.32 (driver aic7xxx)
> * Linux 2.0.35 patched for driver aic7xxx version 5.1.0pre5.
> 
> The results are worst than with the Tekram: with 2.0.32, I get an
> infinite loop of reset/abort SCSI messages. With 2.0.35 I get the
> following (and then the kernel is stuck) :
> 
> command : insmod aic7xxx aic7xxx='verbose:0x1FFFF'
> 
> (this text has been copied by hand, so there may be some
> differences with the original output, regarding the spaces)

[ snip ]

The last time I saw problems like this on a 2940AU card (or any other 785x
or 786x based card for that matter), it was one of two things:

	1.  Bad PCI slot on the motherboard that causes the PCI BIOS
	    to munge your card settings and certain data transfers.
	2.  Bad motherboard/PCI configuration.

Things I've seen done to fix the problem:

	1.  Move the controller to a different PCI slot.
	2.  Check the motherboard BIOS for any PCI settings related
	    to cache line size and set that to 8 dwds if it has it.
	3.  Replace the motherboard if it uses the VIA chipset and
	    certain Adaptec hardware (I don't have a list here, just
	    an "If it doesn't work, then get rid of the VIA chipset
	    and it will probably start working" answer).

Anyway, the fact that starting the X server causes the Tekram to quit
working is almost a dead giveaway in my book that your motherboard is doing
something brain dead and allowing MMAPed regions of the cards to overlap or
other similarly stupid stuff.  I would look into that.

-- 

 Doug Ledford  <dledford at dialnet.net>
  Opinions expressed are my own, but
     they should be everybody's.

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