R-IDSC-E/R SCSI-to-IDE bridge board

[blakespot]

Hey folks,

So some years ago I picked up an R-IDSC-E/R device that lets IDE devices be used on the SCSI bus. The board is a bridge that makes the SCSI host think the IDE device is a SCSI device. As far as I know, they work well for Amiga and Mac.

I have just put the unit to use and have a 4GB CF card with 3 Amiga partitions on it and copied my old OS 3.1 HD contents to it and it boots fine and things have been running well.

I just noticed, thought, several instances of double clicking in WB on a file in a window (lacking an icon) and executing it in the little pop up field that comes up causes the system to freeze. This did not happen with my spinning disk. These are demo files, I speak of.

Are there known issues with these SCSI converters?

More info on the board can be found here:

http://www.synack.net/~bbraun/ridsce.html

And here is a sort of manual for the device I own:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060312054101/http://www.iodata.com/manuals/R-IDSC-E050418.pdf

I am having issues executing certain demos that are without an icon - just clicking on them in the list view in the workbench or typing their name in the shell. Other shell commands work fine, like those in c/. The IDE lite on the board flashes and the front HD lite stays lit and the system freezes. I am using Phase 5 2060 board as the SCSI controller.

Is there an issue with certain file scenarios on this converter bridge that folks know about? Thanks.




bp

[blakespot]

This sounds like a very similar problem, indeed.

First step, I suppose, is how do I determine what filesystem is used on the CF card. There are three partitions on that 4GB card as it came to me:

HD0: 999MB
HD1: 2GB
HD2: 1GB

I Quick Formatted HD0: on the Workbench to FFS and then copies the boot volume (spinning disc contents) over to that card partition. So, is it really FFS? How do I tell what the other partitions are?

Would I be seeing this problem on an FFS-formatted volume? You mention SFS was a problem and PFS worked ok. Do I need PFS? Is that avail for WB 3.1?

Thanks.




bp

[blakespot]

Update. I am now using this board with a GVP HD+8 SCSI controller, no longer the Blizzard A2060's SCSI controller. Now it won't recognize the board / drive(s) at all. (It does recognize a SCSI HD on the chain.)

Does anyone have a tip for the jumper settings of this device w/ that GVP controller?

Thanks.



bp

[blakespot]

I have an XSurf.

http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/xsurf

Could I take the CF card converter from the R-IDSC-E/R bundle and attach it to the IDE port on the XSurf and get non-booting but solid support from a 4GB CF card that way?

Thanks.


bp

[blakespot]

Ugh.

These are all factors in deciding whether to keep this A2000 '020 to use as a WHDLoad machine (primarily) or to get an A1200 (maybe do Individual Comp 030 / 64MB w/ it) for that task.

(I just pulled an '060 Blizzard out of it that I am about to sell.)

I have a GVP HD+8 SCSI controller/hard card with a 700MB SCSI disk on it that's full. I need more storage. SCSI<->IDE seems touchy. XSurf isn't solid IDE for CF then?

Recommendations? Get a diff IDE controller, Zorro II or clockport? Or, an actual SCSI CF reader?

Oy.



bp