Newbie (well oldbie that forget everything) help....

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

need only a $5 buck adapter

Hi Dan, can you clarify on this "$5 adapter"?  You mean the 50-to-68 pin adapter to use the newer 68-pin drives?  Or a 50-to-80 pin?  I've tried occasionally looking for straight 50-pin SCSI drives that would plug in directly, and come up nearly empty in my searches.  Not that I care much because I mostly use CF, but you know...  

[danbeaver]

Well coming from China both the 50-to-68 and 50-to-80 adapters run around $5 bucks; the 80-pin drives have a simple PCB that allows connection of an LED, a few settings and Easy to set ID number.  THe 68-pin drives can be connected with an off center plastic cheapo connector, but don't line up for a "hard card" or tight 3.5" bay.

My preference for SCSI hard drives comes from my use on my CSPPC SCSI-3 bus where the conversion to IDE (for a CF card or SSD) takes a performance hit.  On the GVP, the SCSI bus will be saturated with any SCSI-2 drive, SSD CF card, SD card, and tightly wound rubber band.

Reference:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Computer-80-Pin-To-SCSI-68-Pin-IDC-50-Pin-Adapter-SP-/181623860938?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a49a02eca

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCSI-68Pin-68-Pin-Male-to-50Pin-50-Pin-Male-Adapter-Converter-m-m-/151270902545?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item233872cb11

[8bitugy1]

Okay, I've been doing some more reading and I think I get the following, just posting here to confirm:

If I get additional ram for the GVP SCSI Card it should work in the 16bit space because the 68030 processor is 32 bit and the ram on the accelerator card is in the 32 bit space?

In terms of pulling the data off, I should use the CD-RW (will 2.04 allow me to write to a cd?, if not and I upgrade to 3.x will that wipe the hard drive?) alternatively, I could add a network card and pull the data off that way... (again will that work with 2.04?, seems network stacks REQUIRE 3.x)?

Last, I could hook up a new SCSI device (Hard drive) as drive 3, pull the data off, then update the system and pull the data off a 3.x system to get the files to the  CD-RW?

Has that made sense?

Thanks again....

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

1 - Yes, assuming the ram on the accelerator is in the 32-bit space.  Read that link on the RAM8 board again.  I think you need to set a jumper.

2 - I don't know if the CD-burning software works under 2.04, I've only used it under 3.1/3.9.  I think it was @tenacious who suggested earlier - install the new OS on a new drive, plug in the old drive as a slave (or configured "further down in the chain", since we're talking SCSI) to copy the data over, then once your transfer is complete you can unplug the old drive to keep it as a spare.  

IMHO "all the good stuff" requires 3.1.  I'd go ahead and do the upgrade.  

[danbeaver]

I would just upgrade to KS 3.1 ROM; it is cheap, quick, and an easy upgrade adding updated devices and OS "hooks" for more modern software (that runs on old hardware).

Cheap: $16.57 at http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=157

Quick: remove the case and PSU to access the ROM

Easy: 1) Pull old ROM (carefully), 2) Push in new ROM (carefully)

Then decide on your overall plan:  do you want to change storage (CF card via IDE, SCSI HDD, CD-R/W), access the greater intra vs internet, and/or update your software (OS, CD writing, Browser).

[8bitugy1]

Okay, so here is where I'm stuck.... (thanks for all the help thus far....).

I put in a CDR and got that working, backed up all the data I needed backed up.  Then I took out the old SCSI Hard Drive and put in the new one I acquired (2.1GB).  Partitioned it.  Formatted it.  Installed 3.1 on it.  No issues.  However when I went to install AsimCDFS, the CDR which worked on the old drive is no longer visible in the SCSI chain.  (At least not to the SCSI inquire tool that comes with AsimCDFS).  I checked what I thought were the obvious suspects.... they are not on the same SCSI ID and the new Hard Disk does not have the terminator jumper enabled.   So I'm stuck.  I didn't change any of the settings on the CDR.  Maybe there are drivers for the SCSI card? or some such?  

Any help would be appreciated....

[danbeaver]

I personally have only used AsimCDFS on a multi-disk CD changer as the software is a bit strange. IDEFix software will set up drives on any bus for which there is a device driver and once it generates a mountlist entry, you can pick the CD file system you desire.  The Find tool in IDEFix is very robust.  Mind you, I only have ever written to CD/DVD's under OS4.1, and OS3.X.

[8bitugy1]

IDEFix couldn't find the device either.  I've set the card up wrong, missed a driver somewhere (though I thought it was automatic) or something....It's like the CDR is simply not on the scsi chain anymore....

[8bitugy1]

The drive I installed was this one: http://www.hgst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/techdocs/85256AB8006A31E587256A7D005AB09E/$file/dors_ps.pdf

Any SCSI expert know any reason it wouldn't play nice on the SCSI Bus?

[danbeaver]

So it worked with the CDR by itself, but not with the CDR and 2.1 GB HDD?  What are the drive ID numbers?  What does the bus look? Is the last drive terminated?  Active or passive?

[8bitugy1]

The CDR worked with the previous hard drive and it continues to do so....I just finished checking again...to be sure the drive hadn't become damaged.

The CDR and the 2.1 GB HD don't play together.  the CDR is SCSI ID 3, the HD is SCSI ID 0.  The BUS is terminated, the CDR is the last in the chain and it's terminate Jumper is set.  (which works with the other drive).  I'm not sure what Active or Passive means, but I'm guess it means without a terminator at the end of the cable? and just using the drives jumper to terminate?

[Tenacious]

The CDR worked with the previous hard drive and it continues to do so....I just finished checking again...to be sure the drive hadn't become damaged.

The CDR and the 2.1 GB HD don't play together.  the CDR is SCSI ID 3, the HD is SCSI ID 0.  The BUS is terminated, the CDR is the last in the chain and it's terminate Jumper is set.  (which works with the other drive).  I'm not sure what Active or Passive means, but I'm guess it means without a terminator at the end of the cable? and just using the drives jumper to terminate?

If you are using the new HD with a fresh install of OS3.1, could the stock CD0: icon in devs: be specifying SCSI.device (I think this is the default for OS3.1) instead of GVPSCSI.device?  You are using a GVP SCSI controller, right?  Which is used on the old HD for the CDrom drive?

[gertsy]

If you are using the new HD with a fresh install of OS3.1, could the stock CD0: icon in devs: be specifying SCSI.device (I think this is the default for OS3.1) instead of GVPSCSI.device?  You are using a GVP SCSI controller, right?  Which is used on the old HD for the CDrom drive?

That is probably it.  On 3.1 you have to change it in the actual CD0 device file yeah?  Not in the tooltype for the icon information like on 3.5+

[danbeaver]

The Find program would have scanned the device bus and located the drive regardless of the mountlist.  Could the HHD be terminated and blocking the CDROM from responding?

An Active terminator uses electrical circuits to dampen the bus signal, while a passive terminator simply uses resistors to do this.  On old, slow equipment the passive usually works; on faster buses and drives (SCSI-3 and a SCSI-2 bus like the A4091's) active is required to keep the signal usefull.

[8bitugy1]

This is what I thought, but I've triple checked the terminator jumper on the HHD and then I tried it with the jumper on anyway in case, somehow, the manual for the drive was wrong.   But in either scenario it doesn't work.  

I'm very puzzled.  I think the last thing left is to go and get a terminator (no idea where I could source one locally, I'll probably have to go online).

In reference to the CD0 Icon.  Yes I've changed that as well.  No difference.

[Tenacious]

That is probably it.  On 3.1 you have to change it in the actual CD0 device file yeah?  Not in the tooltype for the icon information like on 3.5+

Yes, you will probably have to use a text editor to change the Device = SCSI.device parameter, if this is the problem.  Double checking the same file on your old HD with OS2.1 should remove doubt.

EDIT:  oops, you've already done this.    Wait, you've read the text in both files (not the icon info) of both HDs  and they both use the same device?

I've used AsimCDfilesystem in the past.  It's good AND it handles long file names well (part of its charm).  It also installs a lot of bloat!  I mentioned BetterWB many post ago.  It also is supposed to come with a CD files system (and a CD player, etc) that can read PC-style long file names.  I haven't confirmed this yet, but, it sure looks like a much cleaner installation and solution.