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Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Title:AMIGA NOTES
Notice:Join us in the *NEW* conference - HYDRA::AMIGA_V2
Moderator:HYDRA::MOORE
Created:Sat Apr 26 1986
Last Modified:Wed Feb 05 1992
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5378
Total number of notes:38326

4637.0. "Help needed with the 2090A Hard Disk Card" by MPGS::RADOFF () Wed Mar 27 1991 13:14

    My son has an Amiga 2000 with a 2090A Hard Disk Interface card.  Up to
    now an ST506 interface type drive has been connected to the 2090A.  He
    is about to step up to a SCSI interface drive.  In order to do so, he
    needs to know cable interconnect information, jumper set ups, and
    proper data for the mount list.  We could accomplish all of the above
    if we had the 2090A manual that came with the card when he got it (my
    son is young.)  Can anyone assist?
    
    Our preference is to connect to the internal 50 pin SCSI bus connector. 
    Also, it is important to know whether parity is enabled on the SCSI
    bus, and if parity is generated, should a jumper be inserted/removed to
    make it active on the SCSI bus.
    
    Thanks in advance....Steve
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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4637.1will look up infoSALEM::LEIMBERGERThu Mar 28 1991 06:1111
    I just saw this very dance performed at my dealers. I was watching as 
    a disinterested viewer,but did see that they had to remove the
    jumpers pertaining to the scsi drive. Until they did this the system
    refused to see the drive in terms of formatting. Once the jumpers were
    removed the install software did it all. As for cabling they simply
    plugged in the fifty pin cable. I believe the mountlist is already
    setup to mount the scsi drive. I'll try to get more info when I go down
    there tonight. Without the manual it is a real painfull process. Of
    course I am sure that many of the 2091a owners will have the answer for
    you before then.
    								bill 
4637.2Keep this in mind!SDOGUS::WILLIAMSTOPGUNThu Mar 28 1991 18:5416
    The most important thing to remember about the 2090/2090a is that the
    first SCSI unit is unit 3!  Set your unit to LUN  0 UNIT 0 and set your
    mountlist to have Unit 3 as the unit number.  Then do a RES3 for the
    1st two tracks (0 & 1).  Build the rest of your mountlist to resemble
    whatever partitions you want on your system.  Mount RES3, prep RES3:
    and then reboot!  Mount the other partitions on the drive and then
    format them.  You may run into some problems.  The SCSI support doesn't
    remap badblocks very well.  There is an upper bound on the partition
    size (I don't remember what it is).  If you have trouble completing the
    format of the drive (won't finish the initialize disk), then back off
    one cyl size on the partition and try again.
    
    I'm not sure, but I think the SCSI will boot first (before the ST506). 
    One last thing, don't forget the termination pack.
    
    TOPGUN
4637.3Need some hardware infoMPGS::RADOFFFri Mar 29 1991 12:389
    Thanks for the input.  Before I connect, I need to understand the
    hardware interconnect.  I see what almost appears as a 50-pin
    interconnect running vertically towards the end of the module that
    faces the rear of the cabinet.  However, I don't know which pin is pin
    1.  Also, I don't know if parity is full time enabled, not enable-able,
    or if it exists and can be enabled, whether a jumper and which jumper
    needs to be in place.
    
    	Steve
4637.4CRISTA::CAPRICCIOSpaceman SpiffSat Mar 30 1991 22:4454
Re: -.1

�    hardware interconnect.  I see what almost appears as a 50-pin
�    interconnect running vertically towards the end of the module that

    That is the "internal" SCSI connector; it should be to the left of (and
    parallel to) the DB-25 "external" SCSI connector that's also vertically
    mounted and on the right edge of the board. The ST506 connectors (two
    20-pin and one 34-pin) are mounted horizontally in a row at the top
    edge of the board.

�    faces the rear of the cabinet.  However, I don't know which pin is pin
�    1.  Also, I don't know if parity is full time enabled, not enable-able,
�    or if it exists and can be enabled, whether a jumper and which jumper
�    needs to be in place.

    According to the manual ("Introduction to the Commodore Amiga 2000HD",
    circa A2090a):

        "Pin 1 of the connector is in the lower right corner. There will be
         a small "1" marked on the board."

    Hopefully your board has the "1" marker on the board. Otherwise, is
    that "lower right corner" reference relative to the connector or the
    board? One way to be sure is that by knowing all odd numbered pins
    (except 25, which is open) and pins 20, 22, 24, 28, and 30 are ground,
    you could *carefully* check with an ohmmeter for the "odd" side of the
    connector. That is, the 50-pin connector is laid out in two, 25-pin
    rows with all odd numbered pins in one row and even pins in the other,
    ie: 1, 3, 5,...,49 / 2, 4, 6,...50. While this doesn't guarantee
    knowing pin 1 from 49, it does give you excellent odds of *not*
    reversing the cable and grounding all the signal pins (one more reason
    for design engineers to make keyed connectors standard equipment).

    After installing the cable at the controller end, you can check he
    cable orientation at the drive end *before* connecting it to the drive
    (again with an ohmmeter if necessary; a small paper clip works well to
    make contact with the cable connector contacts). Then check the drive's
    SCSI connector. If you need a ground reference on the drive, pins 2 and
    3 on the drive's 4 pin power connector are ground.

    Regarding parity, said manual doesn't mention a parity jumper, but the
    later version of same (ala A2091 controller) has a jumper to disable
    parity checking on the message-in phase (whatever that is; it gives
    Seagate drives as an example of types that would require this setting),
    but I believe most drives have parity enabled full-time. Check the docs
    for the drive in question.

    BTW, if you're still interested in a manual, you can have the one
    mentioned here; I received the older manual with my A2091 equipped
    A2000HD (that saga elsewhere in this conference). While it's not the
    most complete manual, it may come in handy. Send me MAIL if you want it.

    Pete