[comp.sys.amiga.tech] Is Xebec SCSI interface GVP compatable?

a774@mindlink.UUCP (Wayde Police) (09/30/90)

A friend of mine has a Xebec SCSI hard drive and adapter for his A1000. Lately
the drive has been failing rather consistently, and what I would like to do is
try some experiments using my GVP SCSI controller in my 2000. Is it reasonable
to assume that the 37 pin connector is a standard connector and the GVP
controller can interface to it?
As an alternative (if the above is not possible) I would like to use a PC's
SCSI controller for the same purpose ... any comments?
--
  +-----------------------------------+
  |  Wayde V. Police                  | Bridgecard + 2000 Amiga   Hardware,
  |  a774@mindlink.UUCP or            |   (MSDOS)  ^  (AmigaDOS)  Software,
  |  uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a774 |           WVP             & Wetware!
  +-----------------------------------+

mrush@csuchico.edu (Matt "C P." Rush) (10/06/90)

In article <3359@mindlink.UUCP> a774@mindlink.UUCP (Wayde Police) writes:
>A friend of mine has a Xebec SCSI hard drive and adapter for his A1000. Lately

	As a kindred spirit I bleed for him -- I've got one of those monsters
on a 1000...

>the drive has been failing rather consistently, and what I would like to do is

	If it's just validation/key errors, reformat and work VERY SLOWLY in
the future.

>try some experiments using my GVP SCSI controller in my 2000. Is it reasonable
>to assume that the 37 pin connector is a standard connector and the GVP
>controller can interface to it?

	Yes, it is _reasonable_ to assume this, BUT IT IS NOT CORRECT!

	Xebec 9720H systems use a modified(?) SASI interface, and an extremely
EVIL(busy waits, etc.) driver.  However, there IS a glimmer of hope; I have seen
an Adaptec board that will convert a Xebec SASI drive to SCSI.  I don't know the
model number and have no way of finding it out currently.

	If you wish to persue the Adaptec board, Wierd Stuff Wherehouse in
San Jose/Milpitas (California, USA) used to carry them.  Considering that
you're dealing with 85ms access times, and 20MB capacities, it's probably NOT
worth it.

>As an alternative (if the above is not possible) I would like to use a PC's
>SCSI controller for the same purpose ... any comments?

	If your SCSI controller will handle Adaptec, there SHOULD (I haven't
actually tried this board) be no problems IF YOU USE THE ADAPTEC BOARD.  SCSI
and SASI are similar (even related) but they are NOT interchangeble.

>--
>  +-----------------------------------+ >  |  Wayde V. Police                  | Bridgecard + 2000 Amiga   Hardware, >  |  a774@mindlink.UUCP or            |   (MSDOS)  ^  (AmigaDOS)  Software,
>  |  uunet!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a774 |           WVP             & Wetware!
>  +-----------------------------------+

	On a side-note, there was a package on an old-ish Fish Disk (early one
hundreds) called "Xebec" that has an improved park command and various care
and feeding notes for Xebec owners.  Your friend should definitely get this
package.

	-- Matt

    *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
    %    "I programmed three days        %      Beam me up, Scotty.      %
    %     And heard no human voices.     %     There's no Artificial     %
    %     But the hard disk sang."       %    Intelligence down here.    %
    %          -- Yoshiko                                                %
    %                            E-mail:  mrush@cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu %
    *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
     This is a SCHOOL!  Do you think they even CARE about MY opinions?!