From: astsloke@ntuvax.ntu.ac.sg
Subject: Re: CD-Rom & Adaptec 1542b
Organization: Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 13:17:13 GMT

In article <pm!ngp=@dixie.com>, jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond) writes:

> Muse of the day.  After spending the last two days and nights trying
> to get the 1542b to talk to a Syquest SQ555 removable hard drive
> and a Matshita CD-ROM (panasonic clone), I just gotta ask.  How the
> hell does Adaptec manage to f*ck up so badly?  Both devices work 
> with Future domain, Allways, DTK Segate ST01 and even the Trantec parallel 
> port host adaptor.  Why is it every time I get near an Adaptec host
> adaptor, I can just plan on trashing a day or so?  Last time it was
> an Exabyte, time before that it was a newbury hard drive, before
> that an Archive cartridge tape drive.  In each case, the official
> adaptec advice has been "get new firmware for the offending device."

Yes, and you may have to pay for a new version of software drivers as well. 
Actually this may not be just Adaptec's fault as many SCSI implementations
seem to interpret the SCSI spec. rather flexibly.

> 
> Methinks the benefits of having adaptec sorta on the net and the Neese
> utilities are being far outweighed by the time costs involved.
> 

Where do can I get these "famous" Neese utilities anyway?

The rest of us outside the continental USA have trouble gaining access to the
Adaptec BBS.  And it operates at only 2400bps.  That's money down the drain if
it's a overseas call.  How about putting the stuff on a ftp site or allowing
anonymous ftp?

> While I'm at it, anyone have a suggestion for a host adaptor that
> will do the following:
> 
> *	Run with windows without double buffering

Actually I run Windows 3.1 without double buffering.  The Adaptec AH1542B 
with the ASPI driver conforms to the VDS (Virtual DMA Spec) and *should* not 
need it.

According to the Windows 3.1 manual, you can determine if double buffering is
required by running smartdrive in a DOS session with windows active and dowble
buffering on.  It should indicate a 'no' against the drive, under the column
marked "double buffering" -  which means you don't need to use double buffering.

HOWEVER, I do turn write caching off for smartdrive 4.0.  I used to get parity 
errors (as reported from windows in VM86 mode).  No write caching and voila! 
no problem.  Yes, I'm not quite happy with this solution either.  But the 
frequency of crashes are very much reduced, and I can do my work.
 
> *	Do what microsoft calls "32 bit transfers."

I've turned on this so called 32 bit transfers in the PCs of so many users as
the stand by, waiting for a violent (;-)) increase in performance.  They seem
dissapointed most of the time (N.B. they use IDE drives). 

If you read the Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text
File) titled:  WW0530: SMARTDrive and 32-Bit Disk Access, (which is available
from simtel20.army.mil or ftp.cica.indiana.edu or their mirrors) you see that
it is actually a "32 bit" implementation in that it is a 32 bit protected mode
driver.

The savings are supposed to be in that Windows will not have to interact with
INT13H an during that interaction have to switch in and out of protected mode
as often.  As changing modes can be quite be CPU cycle consuming, this should 
save  a lot of time. I find the use of the term "32 bit transfers" to be a 
bit misleading.

I guess we sould bug Adaptec and Mcicrosoft to get on with the production of 
these drivers.
 
> *	support the Syquest drive.
> *	support the Exabyte
> *	Support a CD-ROM

Doesn't it?  The reason I bought a SCSI Adapter ws the fact that I could
connect in humongous drives, CD ROMS, Tapes etc painlessly. I though it to be a
strategic purchase. 

The problem with Adaptec is, I find, that I have to buy driver after driver
after driver ad nauseam.  First I bought the SCSI Bus master Kit.  I bought 
an Archive Viper 2150S - so I had to get Sytos Plus.  No alternatives other 
than the GNU GTAK100 which is tar-like and not to my taste.  Then I needed to 
use a CD ROM drive on it as well.  So I had to get CD ROM drivers.  Then I 
bought a 1.3GB  Hard Disk.  So I had to upgrade the ROMS as well as get the 
new version of ASPI4DOS.

Why do I get the feeling that I'm sinking in a Money Pit?
               
I also can't stand device drivers especially those which don't load high and
eat into my precious 640K.  I understand the need for them, but I don't
like'em.
                               
BTW, I have no major problems with my Archive Viper and Sytos plus.  It does
the job.  The sytos plus seems to have support of DDS and 8mm drives, though I
have to tried them out.


All this aside, I have a couple of questions:

1.   Can the AH1542B BIOS utility to format and verify thrast a disk drive. 
When I bought my Quantum PD210S,  I naturally did this.  Well my drive
wouldn't work properly after that.  I got the drive replaced, but they told me
not to use the BIOS utilities as these *would* thrash the drive.   I thought
they are talking through their hats as should the drive be killable by format 
such as the earlier IDE drives with embedded servos, the SCSI format comand 
*should* be disabled and not result in the actual formatting operation being 
carried out.  But I'm still not sure about formatting drives with the Adaptec. 
I hope someone has a clear answer on this.

2.   I can't load ASPI4DOS.SYS (ver 3.0a) high. Ver 2.0 worked when I used an
IDE drive.  When I sold off the IDE and used the SCSI to boot, QEMM (6.0) would
report exception 13 (protection exception).  This same problem occured on
moving to ver 3.0a of ASPI4DOS.  Any solutions?

Also, has anyone tried the LONGSHINE  LC6633F SCSI controller?  It has 
variable geometry translation - you run a setup (from the adapter's BIOS) 
to fix the translation for the drives.  This is then stored in an EEPROM.  
The Controller is a Bus-Mastering controller as well but uses a Z80 CPU 
(or some variant) as the adapter's controller.  It can link up drives to 
emulate a single large capacity drive as well (this is from the brochure 
from the company).  The maximum yield from translation is 128 GB.

The card supports IDE and floppy drives as well (Yes, I know - no big deal).

They also claim their performance to be on par with the AH1542B.  The quoted
price is under USD200.00  (in this country).  You do need drivers for CD ROMs
and Tapes though (bleah).   

Regards. 

T.S. Loke
Nanyang Technological University
Singapore  
Xref: sparky alt.cd-rom:2653 comp.periphs.scsi:4119