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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Vanfanel on January 27, 2012, 02:56:51 AM

Title: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Vanfanel on January 27, 2012, 02:56:51 AM: As usual when I try to do something new, it seems like bashing my head against a solid metal plate would be less painful. But what would be the point if it was easy.

My setup: Amiga 1200 Desktop, Blizzard 1230-IV with SCSI Kit 32MB on each, using a CF for a HD, and have a subway on the clockport. Running OS3.9 using ClassicWB. I'm attempting to get it to register an external CD-Rom I acquired (Plextor PX-12TSe), but it doesn't seem to work. The card is at least working in some fashion, as the RAM is recognized, and I can check the version of 1230scsi.device, but using the scsiconfig3 tool on the blizzard disk, it doesn't even show the device in the list. Consequently, I'm at a loss as to what to do.

If you're curious how I installed, I had my CF plugged into my PC and did all the installing through WinUAE, then popped it into my 1200.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: bbond007 on January 27, 2012, 03:07:45 AM: Quote from: Vanfanel;677665
As usual when I try to do something new, it seems like bashing my head against a solid metal plate would be less painful. But what would be the point if it was easy.

My setup: Amiga 1200 Desktop, Blizzard 1230-IV with SCSI Kit 32MB on each, using a CF for a HD, and have a subway on the clockport. Running OS3.9 using ClassicWB. I'm attempting to get it to register an external CD-Rom I acquired (Plextor PX-12TSe), but it doesn't seem to work. The card is at least working in some fashion, as the RAM is recognized, and I can check the version of 1230scsi.device, but using the scsiconfig3 tool on the blizzard disk, it doesn't even show the device in the list. Consequently, I'm at a loss as to what to do.

If you're curious how I installed, I had my CF plugged into my PC and did all the installing through WinUAE, then popped it into my 1200.

Do you have termination on your scsi? I forgot almost everything i did know about scsi but do remember you typically need that.

I think you set a jumper for termination and in some older devices you need to add a resister pack.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: mechy on January 27, 2012, 03:43:51 AM: Quote from: Vanfanel;677665
As usual when I try to do something new, it seems like bashing my head against a solid metal plate would be less painful. But what would be the point if it was easy.

My setup: Amiga 1200 Desktop, Blizzard 1230-IV with SCSI Kit 32MB on each, using a CF for a HD, and have a subway on the clockport. Running OS3.9 using ClassicWB. I'm attempting to get it to register an external CD-Rom I acquired (Plextor PX-12TSe), but it doesn't seem to work. The card is at least working in some fashion, as the RAM is recognized, and I can check the version of 1230scsi.device, but using the scsiconfig3 tool on the blizzard disk, it doesn't even show the device in the list. Consequently, I'm at a loss as to what to do.

If you're curious how I installed, I had my CF plugged into my PC and did all the installing through WinUAE, then popped it into my 1200.

Generally the cdrom will not show up in the hdtools. Just add a cdfilesystem and configure the Unit and device and you should be up and running.

If you are under wornbench 3.1/3.1 roms, you can copy the CD0 from storage into devs:dos drivers ,then edit the icon info for the blizzard scsi device and the UNIT # you have the cdrom jumpered to. save it then reboot(or double click to activate it) and stick a cd in.. its not the best cdfs,but will get you going.

mech
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Vanfanel on January 27, 2012, 04:51:32 AM: bbond007: Yes, I have it terminated. It's an external device, but I have a terminator and it also has a termination dip switch, which is on.

mechy: I can understand the cdrom not showing up in the hdtools, but not even the scsi device itself? I suppose the program could have been written to not show the device if it doesn't have a hard drive on it, but that seems unlikely.

CDFileSystem is in L:, and I copied CD0 to DEVS: DosDrivers (you can do it in 3.9, too, and the space is to prevent an emoticon from appearing). I put in the tooltype device=1230scsi.device by highlighting it, and selecting Information from the menu. I set the drive to 2, which is CD0's default. I got nothing. The drive detects a disc is in it, and it spins, but nothing on the 1200.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Ancalimon on January 27, 2012, 08:57:38 AM: try softscsi with the latest 1230.ROM file Maybe it could fix your problem?
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: LoadWB on January 27, 2012, 09:43:07 AM: Quote from: Vanfanel;677675
bbond007: Yes, I have it terminated. It's an external device, but I have a terminator and it also has a termination dip switch, which is on.

Don't use both: either terminate on the CD-ROM or use the external terminator. I've been bitten before by multiple termination points. Termination should be at both ends of the cable, only. (If the cable ends at the controller, then the controller should terminate.)

I remember reading somewhere that SCSI is a form of 20th Century Voodoo. I have to agree, especially having just dealt with a dead server caused by a dead terminator on an LVD cable which didn't manifest until one of the drives was replaced.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Vanfanel on January 27, 2012, 06:43:11 PM: FallenOne: I'm guessing softscsi is the utility to update the onboard rom to the latest version. Where can I find it, and the latest 1230.rom? I'll try updating it.

LoadWB: Yeah, the SCSI kit has built in termination on its end (and it's unit 7), so I've tried both the external terminator, and not using it and flipping the dip switch instead.

Haven't had a chance to test the drive with the PCI controller I have. Guess I need to get off my butt and open the older PC up and make sure it's configured correctly, as I've never used it with an external device before.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Ancalimon on January 27, 2012, 08:26:44 PM: pm me your email address and I'll send you the latest 1234.ROM

sofscsi is on aminet. You can also try blizkick and its module which is the best option (because you can use many modules to replace parts of kickstart and you can make a single reboot machine using it if using it with OS3.9)
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Vanfanel on January 27, 2012, 11:45:10 PM: Thanks.

The tricks with blizkick would be very useful I think, but that's something else to work on. I want this drive working first.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Vanfanel on February 07, 2012, 07:14:36 AM: So, I have got softscsi running, with the A1234.ROM included, upgrading me to 8.1. Haven't located an 8.5 ROM yet, but that can wait. As can the tinkering with BlizKick to minimize all this rebooting.

I tested the SCSI CD-ROM drive on my old DOS/Windows games machine, that I still have a SCSI card in back when I used a Zip drive. While the drive is detected by the system, if I have parity on, all it can do is show me there's a disc in the drive. With parity off, it will show me the disc name (though sometimes garbled) and will error on trying to read the contents. So I think it's safe to say the drive is borked. Hopefully I'll be able to exchange it.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: mechy on February 07, 2012, 03:16:39 PM: Quote from: Vanfanel;677675
bbond007: Yes, I have it terminated. It's an external device, but I have a terminator and it also has a termination dip switch, which is on.

mechy: I can understand the cdrom not showing up in the hdtools, but not even the scsi device itself? I suppose the program could have been written to not show the device if it doesn't have a hard drive on it, but that seems unlikely.

CDFileSystem is in L:, and I copied CD0 to DEVS: DosDrivers (you can do it in 3.9, too, and the space is to prevent an emoticon from appearing). I put in the tooltype device=1230scsi.device by highlighting it, and selecting Information from the menu. I set the drive to 2, which is CD0's default. I got nothing. The drive detects a disc is in it, and it spins, but nothing on the 1200.

As said above,you cannot double terminate a device, use either of the terminators but not both. only the last device on the chain should be terminated.

Are you sure the drive is actually jumpered to device "2"... the reason i ask is if you simply put a jumper on "2" it would not be set to device 2..

grab ScsiQuery off aminet and check for the cdrom. If it doesn't show with that it may be you have a bad cdrom.

Understand that a jumper marked 2 on the drive is not to get device #2 in all situations. its a sort of binary setup on the jumpers:

SCSI ID SCSI-2 Jumper or switches

0 0 0 0 off / off / off 1 0 0 1 off / off / on 2 0 1 0 off / on / off 3 0 1 1 off / on / on 4 1 0 0 on/ off / off 5 1 0 1 on / off / on 6 1 1 0 on / on / off 7 1 1 1 on / on / on

Mech

edit: hmm botched that chart didnt it ;/
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Bamiga2002 on February 07, 2012, 03:22:09 PM: Put a cd in the drive and then run ScsiControl, does it show up then?
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: mechy on February 07, 2012, 03:34:24 PM: Quote from: Vanfanel;679651
So, I have got softscsi running, with the A1234.ROM included, upgrading me to 8.1. Haven't located an 8.5 ROM yet, but that can wait. As can the tinkering with BlizKick to minimize all this rebooting.

I tested the SCSI CD-ROM drive on my old DOS/Windows games machine, that I still have a SCSI card in back when I used a Zip drive. While the drive is detected by the system, if I have parity on, all it can do is show me there's a disc in the drive. With parity off, it will show me the disc name (though sometimes garbled) and will error on trying to read the contents. So I think it's safe to say the drive is borked. Hopefully I'll be able to exchange it.

wrote a book before i saw your reply.. try cleaning the lens with iso alcohol inside,it may get it working. cdroms will act strange on the bus when they cant read at times.
Title: Re: Blizzard SCSI Kit Woes
Post by: Vanfanel on February 08, 2012, 07:49:23 PM: Mechy: I made sure I was not double terminating. By necessity, the Blizzard Scsi Kit is terminated on that end, and I use the external terminator on the CD-Drive, with the TERM DIP switch set to off. Since it's external, the device selector is a dial instead of 3 jumpers of binary fun. When I tested it on my other machine, the cable is terminated after my internal zip drive. The SCSI card (Adaptec AVA-2906) was not auto-terminating, so I could hook the drive to the external port, and again, I used the external terminator. The Zip was set to LUN 5, and the card was 7.

I will grab ScsiQuery and see what it can tell me, as well as try cleaning the lens. It would really suck if the drive is what's working and the SCSI Kit isn't, but I'll deal with that once I know.