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I came across a Seagate Scorpion STD2401LW tape drive supposedly
compatible with Windows, Linux, and UNIX. However, there are dip
switches to be set (5-8) to reflect the operating system, and none of
the examples in the manual are for OS currently in use. If someone has
used this drive or a similar one on FreeBSD (preferably a modern
version, such as 6.2, which I use), I would appreciate advice about
this.
On Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:58:51 -0800 (PST), tim1948 <iconoklastic@yahoo.com> wrote:
: I came across a Seagate Scorpion STD2401LW tape drive supposedly
: compatible with Windows, Linux, and UNIX. However, there are dip
: switches to be set (5-8) to reflect the operating system, and none of
: the examples in the manual are for OS currently in use. If someone has
: used this drive or a similar one on FreeBSD (preferably a modern
: version, such as 6.2, which I use), I would appreciate advice about
: this.
If your SCSI card has a BIOS is it picking up the drive during POST?
If so is the drive recognized during freebsd's boot? And if so is
there a /dev/sa# or a /dev/nsa# for it?
tim1948 wrote:
[color=blue]
> I came across a Seagate Scorpion STD2401LW tape drive supposedly
> compatible with Windows, Linux, and UNIX. However, there are dip
> switches to be set (5-8) to reflect the operating system, and none of
> the examples in the manual are for OS currently in use. If someone has
> used this drive or a similar one on FreeBSD (preferably a modern
> version, such as 6.2, which I use), I would appreciate advice about
> this.[/color]
Caveat: I haven't used this drive with FreeBSD. But the manual contains the
following:
"Note: If the drive is to be used with an OS *other* than those described
below, these switches should be left in their default positions."
I would look to see if the controller is recognizing the unit. The only
switch I'd look at is the wide/narrow to match the controller/cable type.
As far as the jumpers go, historically the SCSI IDs 0 and 1 were reserved
for booting, but it doesn't really matter as long as it's not set to 7,
which is the controller ID. The default is ID 6.
The problem you are most likely to experience is this unit does not provide
termination to the SCSI bus so it can *not* be used as the only device or
at the end of the bus. If you are trying to use it as the only device on a
bus, use a cable which has more than one connector. Plug the cable to the
controller on one end and plug the drive up to one of the middle
connectors, *not* the one on the other end. Find a terminator that fits and
plug the terminator to the connector on the end of the SCSI cable.
-Jason
Jason Bourne <j_bourne_treadstone@hotmail.com> wrote:[color=blue]
>
> As far as the jumpers go, historically the SCSI IDs 0 and 1 were reserved
> for booting, but it doesn't really matter as long as it's not set to 7,
> which is the controller ID. The default is ID 6.[/color]
Not reserved, but some host adapters may care about booting from
addresses 0 or 1. It's probably not an issue with a tape drive any
more, since few people are going to make a bootable tape anyway.
[color=blue]
> The problem you are most likely to experience is this unit does not provide
> termination to the SCSI bus so it can *not* be used as the only device or
> at the end of the bus. If you are trying to use it as the only device on a
> bus, use a cable which has more than one connector. Plug the cable to the
> controller on one end and plug the drive up to one of the middle
> connectors, *not* the one on the other end. Find a terminator that fits and
> plug the terminator to the connector on the end of the SCSI cable.[/color]
There are also the issues of whether the host adapter is terminated or
provides terminator power. Both ends of the bus need to be terminated.
Going back to the original question, it would be better to set the
switches for what is desired than use a rote "set it this way" setting.
Lacking that, I'd start with either of the manufacturer recommendations
for Linux or Unix and check the differences.
--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA
Warren Block wrote:
[color=blue]
> Jason Bourne <j_bourne_treadstone@hotmail.com> wrote:[color=green]
>>
>> As far as the jumpers go, historically the SCSI IDs 0 and 1 were reserved
>> for booting, but it doesn't really matter as long as it's not set to 7,
>> which is the controller ID. The default is ID 6.[/color]
>
> Not reserved, but some host adapters may care about booting from
> addresses 0 or 1. It's probably not an issue with a tape drive any
> more, since few people are going to make a bootable tape anyway.
>[/color]
The 0/1 thing was very early in the advent of the very first SCSI
controllers for MS-DOS PCs and it's drivers. Quickly went the way of the
dinosaur. I always thought it was stupid to hard code the lowest priority
devices as the boot drives, but that's the way it was at one time (at least
in the MS-DOS world).
[snip][color=blue]
>
> There are also the issues of whether the host adapter is terminated or
> provides terminator power. Both ends of the bus need to be terminated.[/color]
Yes - normally the controller provides terminator power by default because
it's a "known true". But yes, term. power has to come from at least one
source. The only reason I can recall for setting it on both ends of a bus
was if the cable was extremely long out near the range limits. In such a
case it was supposed to make the bus more stable.
[color=blue]
> Going back to the original question, it would be better to set the
> switches for what is desired than use a rote "set it this way" setting.
> Lacking that, I'd start with either of the manufacturer recommendations
> for Linux or Unix and check the differences.
>[/color]
Well in this case the 5 Unices specified in the manual generally involved
patching some system code and rebuilding, rebuilding driver and/or a driver
database, etc. These include DEC Unix, SunOS 4.1.x or Solaris 2.x, Irix,
HP-UX, and AIX. Since none of these situations apply the instructions in
the manual specifically say none of the above = leave at default.
All else being equal, if everything is setup and config'd properly and it
still doesn't work the unit has a high probability of being defective. I
remember sending some of these back to the factory only to have them
returned "no problem found". Plug 'em up and promptly see it still broken.
Needless to say we never bought any more of them. :-)
-Jason
Jason Bourne <j_bourne_treadstone@hotmail.com> wrote:[color=blue]
> Warren Block wrote:
>[color=green]
>> Jason Bourne <j_bourne_treadstone@hotmail.com> wrote:[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> As far as the jumpers go, historically the SCSI IDs 0 and 1 were reserved
>>> for booting, but it doesn't really matter as long as it's not set to 7,
>>> which is the controller ID. The default is ID 6.[/color]
>>
>> Not reserved, but some host adapters may care about booting from
>> addresses 0 or 1. It's probably not an issue with a tape drive any
>> more, since few people are going to make a bootable tape anyway.
>>[/color]
>
> The 0/1 thing was very early in the advent of the very first SCSI
> controllers for MS-DOS PCs and it's drivers. Quickly went the way of the
> dinosaur. I always thought it was stupid to hard code the lowest priority
> devices as the boot drives, but that's the way it was at one time (at least
> in the MS-DOS world).[/color]
The distinction is that it is a host adapter thing and not something
built into SCSI.
[color=blue][color=green]
>> There are also the issues of whether the host adapter is terminated or
>> provides terminator power. Both ends of the bus need to be terminated.[/color]
>
> Yes - normally the controller provides terminator power by default because
> it's a "known true". But yes, term. power has to come from at least one
> source. The only reason I can recall for setting it on both ends of a bus
> was if the cable was extremely long out near the range limits. In such a
> case it was supposed to make the bus more stable.[/color]
IME, some users would pay great attention to terminating the device end
of the bus and completely ignore the host adapter. Today, some host
adapters have automatic termination, but back when I was using SCSI most
did not. Ten years ago, now, but I still like the examples at the end:
[url]http://www.wonkity.com/~wblock/SCSI/SCSIExamples.html[/url]
--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA