[comp.periphs.scsi] Adaptec 1542B with Micronics 386

ralph@swmerc.rain.com (Ralph Merwin) (05/10/91)

I'm trying to upgrade my system (Micronics 386 20mhz motherboard) with
an Adaptec 1542B controller.  When I try to run the DMA test, it fails
miserably, always the Read/Write FIFO test at address 20000.  Also,
depending on the DMA speed jumpering, I get I/O channel parity checks.
The controller seems to properly detect the presence of the wini and the
tape, but it won't talk to them (I assume because of the DMA problem).

I've tried disabling the cache on the motherboard, slowing the system
down to 8mhz, removing all other boards except the video, changing the
DMA channel used, changing the slot the 1542 is in.  All to no avail.
Anyone got any clues?

Thanks in advance.

Ralph
-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Merwin - Merwin Software Services      ralph@swmerc.rain.com
6782 SW 162nd Drive, Beaverton, OR  97007    72170.151@compuserve.com
(503) 642-0256                               

neese@adaptx1.UUCP (05/14/91)

>/* ---------- "Adaptec 1542B with Micronics 386" ---------- */
>
>I'm trying to upgrade my system (Micronics 386 20mhz motherboard) with
>an Adaptec 1542B controller.  When I try to run the DMA test, it fails
>miserably, always the Read/Write FIFO test at address 20000.  Also,
>depending on the DMA speed jumpering, I get I/O channel parity checks.
>The controller seems to properly detect the presence of the wini and the
>tape, but it won't talk to them (I assume because of the DMA problem).
>
>I've tried disabling the cache on the motherboard, slowing the system
>down to 8mhz, removing all other boards except the video, changing the
>DMA channel used, changing the slot the 1542 is in.  All to no avail.
>Anyone got any clues?

Early versions of some of the Micronics motherboards were known not to support
bus masters.  Micronics has corrected this in all of thier latter versions of
the board.
If you have tried the DMA bus master test at the slowest speed (5.0MB/sec)
and it still fails, you are out of luck.  The adapter will not work in this
motherboard.

			Roy Neese
			Adaptec Senior SCSI Applications Engineer
			UUCP @  neese@adaptex
				uunet!cs.utexas.edu!utacfd!merch!adaptex!neese