Archive Python DAT tape and Adaptec

Michael Meissner meissner at cygnus.com
Sat Sep 5 09:09:10 PDT 1998


On Sat, Sep 05, 1998 at 09:20:00AM -0000, Mike Bilow wrote:
> 
> 
> Michael Meissner wrote in a message to Mike Bilow:
> 
> > > The Archive is an asynch-only device, and I have the jumpers 
> > > set for SCSI-2 and Parity support.
> 
> The Archive Pythons *all* do synchronous negotiation.  Make sure you have not
> disabled this in the controller set up.

These particular 2 tape drives do not support synchronous negotiations (they
were bought circa early 1996).  They have always been asynch only, and the
first access to the tape has always had the message that the drive is rejecting
sync transfers.

> Different versions of the Archive Python firmware will negotiate different
> transfer clock rates.  Most will transfer at 6.67 Mops.
> 
>  MM> I tried that, and the 5.0.x driver still could not deal with
>  MM> the tape drives (unfortunately, I don't have the log output
>  MM> available, but I can redo it if necessary).  I also tried
>  MM> disable scsi parity support, and it could not discern either
>  MM> the tape drive or cdrom at boot time.  Right now, I'm
>  MM> running the machine with covers off, the Adaptec is between
>  MM> a TekRam 390F scsi controller, and an original Soundblaster
>  MM> 16 (non-pnp) sound card.
> 
> The driver is known for not seeing devices in certain situation, but the newer
> ones Doug is working on seem to fix most of that.  The termination on the
> Archive Python can be very dodgy, as it is usually accomplished by inserting
> jumper resistor packs; make sure you get the packs in the right polarity (pin 1
> is denoted by a dot or other distinguishing mark on the resistor pack and by a
> square silkscreen around the pin on the drive).  

As I thought I mentioned, I no longer use the termination supplied by the drive
(actually, I've never had the tape supply termination, when I used it, the
cdrom supplied termination), but instead use an active terminator at the end of
the cable.

-- 
Michael Meissner, Cygnus Solutions (Massachusetts office)
4th floor, 955 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
meissner at cygnus.com,	617-354-5416 (office),	617-354-7161 (fax)

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