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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: amigadave on June 30, 2009, 05:14:10 AM

Title: Help w/36GB & 74GB hdd's on VTFlyer SCSI
Post by: amigadave on June 30, 2009, 05:14:10 AM
Is there anyone out there that can give me any tips on getting large SCSI hard drives recognized on a Video Toaster/Flyer SCSI chain?

I have several 68pin and 80pin ultra320 SCSI-III drives 36GB & 74GB in size that I would like to use to replace some very old, large and noisy 9.1GB hard drives in my Video Toaster/Flyer system.  I have some adapters to convert from the 50pin ribbon cable that the Flyer accepts and active terminators for 68pin and 50pin cable connectors, but have not found the right combination yet to have the drive show up when the Flyer SCSI bus is scanned with the HD Utilities provided with the Flyer software.

Any help or advice in getting these more modern SCSI drives to work would be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Help w/36GB & 74GB hdd's on VTFlyer SCSI
Post by: T3000 on July 03, 2009, 03:33:17 PM
Heya Dave
Will SCSI III drives work on a SCSI II controller?
Isnt the upper limit on the Flyer 32gig?
Don't know how to help ya without poking around inside your case with a large screwdriver...  heh.  Good luck and let us know if ya got those drive working.
Title: Re: Help w/36GB & 74GB hdd's on VTFlyer SCSI
Post by: Zac67 on July 03, 2009, 05:28:26 PM
Quote from: T3000;514384
Will SCSI III drives work on a SCSI II controller?


Yes. 99.9% do.
However, everything I can find about the VTFlyer indicates it's rather SCSI I (but nonetheless).

When adapting wide SCSI drives to 50pin, check
- terminate the bus at both ends
- 80pin/SCA HDDs can't provide termination
- some wide SCSI drives need termination of the wide bus, thus an additional 'half-terminator' may be required
- alternatively you can switch to 68pin cabling and adapt the 50pin devices
- jumper the drives for 'auto spin'
- some drives just won't do (some IBMs, but very rarely)
- 'LVD only' won't work (very rare), you'll need LVD/SE or SE
- at least one device needs to provide termpower to the bus (I usually use both end devices, i.e. host adapter + last internal drive)
- sometimes more than one termpower provider doesn't work - I've never found the cause for this