rgh@mtunf.ATT.COM (Ronald Hiller) (03/02/90)
I have several large (>100 MB) SCSI disks that I would like to attach
to a Macintosh. However, I have heard that the Macintosh SCSI interface
is not *exactly* the same as is found on a vanilla SCSI drive (eg.
CDC/Imprimus/Seagate Wren VI). To try and get to the bottom of this
I opened up an Apple 20 MB external drive box and everything seemed
as expected except that it appeared a diode had been soldered from some
mystery place on the disk drive board (I assume 5 V) to pin 26 on the
50 pin SCSI connector ("terminator power"). What does all of this mean?
Can I simply supply +5V to pin 26 of my Wren VI and have everything
work? Also, what is really happening here and why is this necessary.
Seeing the diode, I assumed that if I had my new drive on the SCSI
bus with another official Apple drive that it should supply the
termination power and everything should work. Well, it didn't.
The Mac did not recognize the drive and the Macintosh HD SC Setup program
couldn't find it.
If you know anything about this please clue me in.
Thanks,
Ron
att!mtunf!rgh
rgh@mtunf.att.compsu@mtuni.ATT.COM (Paul Siu) (03/02/90)
I remember seeing an article in computer shopper about building your own SCSI hard drive last year. Send me E-mail if you want me to dig it up. Leave your mailing address if you want a copy of the article.
ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith) (03/06/90)
Apple's software only recognizes Apple drives. Apple is big enough that they can get Seagate, Quantum, etc., to make ROM changes. The INQUIRY data and possible some of the mode select data will have special values by which HD Setup can tell that you have a genuine Apple drive. Try someone else's software ( SilverLining from LaCie would be a good place to start ). Tim Smith
russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto) (03/07/90)
In article <27598@cup.portal.com> ts@cup.portal.com (Tim W Smith) writes: >Apple's software only recognizes Apple drives. > Apple recognizes CMS drives too... -- Matthew T. Russotto russotto@eng.umd.edu russotto@wam.umd.edu ][, ][+, ///, ///+, //e, //c, IIGS, //c+ --- Any questions?
barry@primerd.prime.com (03/09/90)
I've heard Apple's SCSI described as "not quite standard" and that HP
and Imprimis Wren drives won't work on the Mac w/o a minor ROM change.
I've been able to use standard Maxtor 240MB and Micropolis 90MB drives
w/o any changes. I recommend Silverlining highly.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Barry Wolman | barry@s66.prime.com
Principal Technical Consultant | 500 Old Connecticut Path
Prime Computer | Framingham, MA 01701
| 508/879-2960, ext. 1100
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing in this posting represents a position of Prime Computer.