A2000, A2286AT & SCSI.

[flaviosr]

Hi to all,

take a look at my signature to see the config of my A2000.
I decided to add a true HD for the A2286 and I bought an XT SCSI controller (I have only one 8 bit slot), a Future Domain TMC-850MEX... everything seems ok apart that I cannot see the HD (a Maxtor LXT213SY, and I am sure it works!)!!!
Some suggestions? Hints?

[CLS2086]

Hi,
try to had the isa extension to get 8 more bits, it's not hard i did it last month.
Your HDD seems to be a 200 MB, but are the terminaisons good and the settings ?
do you see the SCSI "bios" when starting/restarting the pc side ? do you well have the last janius software ?

When i put an Adaptec 15xx with my A2386sx it bips because i have to find the good setup...

Settings

and beware of the performances of these 8 bits card, even M$ warn you about performances problems.

Try to get the drivers to see if your hdd is well detected.
drivers

But do you know well Old PC & DOS ?

that can help you

[Zac67]

AFAIR I had a TMC-850MEX included with my first Toshiba XM-4101 CDROM. The one I had lacked a BIOS and for DOS only CDROM drivers were available. Might've worked in Win95 with a general SCSI driver, but it got replaced by a much better NCR810 before that.

Check if your 850 has got a BIOS (28 pin DIL EPROM chip). If it doesn't and/or doesn't show a POST message on system start, then it's the crippled version.

If I'm not mistaked, I might have an old Adaptec AHA-1540 that also worked in 8 bit mode (probably sloooow) - I'll check that, but am afraid, I can't test it any more...

[...]Checked Adaptec's docs: it seems it's not compatible with 8 bit slots. Also found an AHA-1520 (PIO instead of DMA), but that one won't work either.

You'll have to salvage a 16 bit ISA slot from an old PC mobo and add it to your A2000, I'm afraid.

[flaviosr]

Zac67 wrote:
AFAIR I had a TMC-850MEX included with my first Toshiba XM-4101 CDROM. The one I had lacked a BIOS and for DOS only CDROM drivers were available. Might've worked in Win95 with a general SCSI driver, but it got replaced by a much better NCR810 before that.

Check if your 850 has got a BIOS (28 pin DIL EPROM chip). If it doesn't and/or doesn't show a POST message on system start, then it's the crippled version.

If I'm not mistaked, I might have an old Adaptec AHA-1540 that also worked in 8 bit mode (probably sloooow) - I'll check that, but am afraid, I can't test it any more...

[...]Checked Adaptec's docs: it seems it's not compatible with 8 bit slots. Also found an AHA-1520 (PIO instead of DMA), but that one won't work either.

You'll have to salvage a 16 bit ISA slot from an old PC mobo and add it to your A2000, I'm afraid.

Ok... my problem is solved!
No BIOS chip and no POST message on boot! It's a slave controller...
My problem now is to find a PC-XT SCSI controller... uff...
Apart this card (obviously with BIOS chip), any suggestions?
The A2000 has "only" two ISA 16 bit... one for the A2286AT and one for the video card... :-o

[Zac67]

The A2000 has "only" two ISA 16 bit... one for the A2286AT and one for the video card... :-o

Take a look at the PCB: just the slot connectors are missing and can be added. Get an old AT/386/486 mobo and transplant them. :-)

[flaviosr]

Zac67 wrote:

The A2000 has "only" two ISA 16 bit... one for the A2286AT and one for the video card... :-o

Take a look at the PCB: just the slot connectors are missing and can be added. Get an old AT/386/486 mobo and transplant them. :-)

mmm... now understand the following sentences:
"You'll have to salvage a 16 bit ISA slot from an old PC mobo and add it to your A2000"
"try to had the isa extension to get 8 more bits"
... I refused the meaning instinctively!
Have I simply to solder the "missing parts"?!?!? Wow...
No problems?
Is there a small doc somewhere?

[Zac67]

> Have I simply to solder the "missing parts"?!?!? Wow...

Yep.

> No problems?

Nope. None to be expected.

> Is there a small doc somewhere?

What for? Just put them in, solder the pins and you're set. Works for at least 99%. Stingy C= just had to save on those .30.

PS: you're welcome to one of my old 1542s for postage if you care.  ;-)