tmottonen@cc.helsinki.fi (Teemu J. M|tt|nen) (05/22/91)
Hi all!
I need info on MCA SCSI-controllers. I know that IBM has two models,
but after a local IBM dealer suggested a ProCom (?) controller instead,
I thought that maybe I should find out about other controllers as well.
So, any info is appreciated (price, experiences, performance). BTW,
are the IBM ones both bus-masters and could the one with 32-bit
interface be used in a model 60 (16-bit) ?
Thanks,
Teemu.
PS. They also recommended non-IBM SCSI drive, a Quantum Pro105S. Is
that any good ?
--
Teemu Mottonen / Department of Computer Science / University of Helsinki
tmottonen@cc.helsinki.fi | TMOTTONEN@FINUH | tmottone@kruuna.helsinki.fi
address: Vapaalantie 26B, SF-01650 Vantaa, Finland / tel: + 358 0 844938U39648@uicvm.uic.edu (Darius Vaskelis) (05/23/91)
>So, any info is appreciated (price, experiences, performance). BTW, >are the IBM ones both bus-masters and could the one with 32-bit >interface be used in a model 60 (16-bit) ? Both IBM SCSI controllers are bus-masters, and both work in 16-bit or 32-bit slots. One only uses a 16-bit data path and has no cache, and one uses a 32-bit data path and has a 512K cache. Both are VERY fast. I have no experience with the Procom SCSI, but there are MANY 3rd party SCSI adapters available. As your local IBM rep to get you the entire list from the Micro Channel catalog. The only-non IBM one I've seen was the Future Domain one. It's 16-bit, no cache, and a slave (non- bus-master). It worked and seemed speedy, but I like the IBM 16-bit one over it because it's in the same price range (~$300 US educational price) and offers a bus-master. IBM's controller is also VERY easy to use from the reference disk without any fussing at all. Just plop on a couple SCSI devices, power up auto-configuration from the reference, and wala. Done. Need to low-level format them? Press Control-A and select format fixed disk, and you get a nice menu like this: Select fixed disk: 1. IBM 60MB Fixed Disk 2. SEAGATE 48MB Fixed Disk Not bad in my eyes. - Darius ========================================================================= BITNET: U39648@UICVM | "I'd rather laugh with the sinners Internet: u39648@uicvm.uic.edu | than cry with the saints, ====================================| the sinners are much more fun, "Don't set fire to strangers." | and only the good die young." - Mr. Zarniwoop | - Billy Joel
tmottonen@cc.helsinki.fi (Teemu J. M|tt|nen) (05/24/91)
In article <91143.075027U39648@uicvm.uic.edu>, U39648@uicvm.uic.edu (Darius Vaskelis) writes: >>So, any info is appreciated (price, experiences, performance). BTW, >>are the IBM ones both bus-masters and could the one with 32-bit >>interface be used in a model 60 (16-bit) ? > > Both IBM SCSI controllers are bus-masters, and both work in 16-bit or > 32-bit slots. One only uses a 16-bit data path and has no cache, and > one uses a 32-bit data path and has a 512K cache. Both are VERY fast. > > I have no experience with the Procom SCSI, but there are MANY 3rd party > SCSI adapters available. As your local IBM rep to get you the entire > list from the Micro Channel catalog. The only-non IBM one I've seen > was the Future Domain one. It's 16-bit, no cache, and a slave (non- > bus-master). I have that MC catalog. The local IBM dealer had no idea that one even existed :-) BTW, I saw in PC Week (April 8) an ad by Future Domain, about their SCSI-2 host adapters. Is SCSI-2 that much better than SCSI-1 that I should consider one of these ? The ad said that SCSI-2 speed is 10MB/sec, what's the speed of SCSI-1 ? > It worked and seemed speedy, but I like the IBM 16-bit one over it > because it's in the same price range (~$300 US educational price) > and offers a bus-master. IBM's controller is also VERY easy to use > from the reference disk without any fussing at all. Just plop on > a couple SCSI devices, power up auto-configuration from the reference, > and wala. Done. Need to low-level format them? Press Control-A and > select format fixed disk, and you get a nice menu like this: > > Select fixed disk: > > 1. IBM 60MB Fixed Disk > 2. SEAGATE 48MB Fixed Disk > > Not bad in my eyes. Not in my eyes either. I went and asked the dealer about the ProCom card. He recommended it because it had a standard SCSI interface and IBM doesn't (according to him). So, are there different SCSI interfaces ? I mean is it possible to hook 3rd party drives etc to the IBM adapters ? He also claimed that one has to power-up external SCSI drives before the computer for the IBM adapters to recorgnize them. Otherwise the PS/2 won't boot. He said that the ProCom adapter has no such problems. One other thing: anyone have info on the internal fax/modem for the PS/2 L40SX (Group III ? MNP ? $$$ ?) or the docking station (space for 2nd hd ? connector for full-size keyboard ?) ? Teemu. -- Teemu Mottonen / Department of Computer Science / University of Helsinki tmottonen@cc.helsinki.fi | TMOTTONEN@FINUH | tmottone@kruuna.helsinki.fi address: Vapaalantie 26B, SF-01650 Vantaa, Finland / tel: + 358 0 844938
U39648@uicvm.uic.edu (From The Mind Of) (05/24/91)
> Not in my eyes either. I went and asked the dealer about the ProCom card. > He recommended it because it had a standard SCSI interface and IBM doesn't > (according to him). So, are there different SCSI interfaces ? I mean is it > possible to hook 3rd party drives etc to the IBM adapters ? He also >claimed > that one has to power-up external SCSI drives before the computer for the > IBM adapters to recorgnize them. Otherwise the PS/2 won't boot. He said > that the ProCom adapter has no such problems. > > One other thing: anyone have info on the internal fax/modem for the PS/2 > L40SX (Group III ? MNP ? $$$ ?) or the docking station (space for 2nd hd ? > connector for full-size keyboard ?) ? Well, the third party drive I installed into a 65SX with the 16-bit SCSI adapter was a Seagate 157N, a 3.5" SCSI drive. Totally standard. The IBM SCSI controller has two SCSI connections, an internal one and an external one. All I did to get the drive to work was plug it in to the cable hooked up through the internal connector (it fit just fine), hooked up power from the 65SX's power supply, and they using jumpers on the Seagate drive, set it to SCSI ID 5. (The adapter is 7, the IBM drive already in the computer was 6) This leaves room for devices 4 through 0. Then, I booted reference and ran auto-configuration. That was it, the new drive was drive D. And I already told you how easy it was to low level format it... the computer even figured out the make and the drive size automatically. I was VERY pleased with the adapter. It sounds to me like your dealer may just get a higher commission from selling the other SCSI adapters. I like the IBM one only because it's the first SCSI adapter I've seen that just appears to work with no fussing about. So as for cable differences, the third-party drive plugged right into the cable already in the 65SX/SCSI adapter. The power for the drive plugged right into the standard power cable in the 65SX. Note that if you have a 50/50Z/55SX/70 you'll need to also get a case and power supply for the SCSI drive along with a cable that hooks up through the external SCSI connector on the adapter. - Darius ========================================================================= BITNET: U39648@UICVM | "I'd rather laugh with the sinners Internet: u39648@uicvm.uic.edu | than cry with the saints, ====================================| the sinners are much more fun, "Don't set fire to strangers." | and only the good die young." - Mr. Zarniwoop | - Billy Joel
hh2@prism.gatech.EDU (HAAS) (05/26/91)
In article <91144.093920U39648@uicvm.uic.edu> U39648@uicvm.uic.edu (From The Mind Of) writes: >> Not in my eyes either. I went and asked the dealer about the ProCom card. >> He recommended it because it had a standard SCSI interface and IBM doesn't >> (according to him). So, are there different SCSI interfaces ? I mean is it >> possible to hook 3rd party drives etc to the IBM adapters ? He also claimed >> that one has to power-up external SCSI drives before the computer for the >> IBM adapters to recorgnize them. Otherwise the PS/2 won't boot. He said >> that the ProCom adapter has no such problems. > >Well, the third party drive I installed into a 65SX with the 16-bit >SCSI adapter was a Seagate 157N, a 3.5" SCSI drive. Totally standard. > >The IBM SCSI controller has two SCSI connections, an internal one and >an external one. All I did to get the drive to work was . . . . I have the non-cahce IBM adapter. The only thing "non-standar" that I saw was the smaller connector (external). Non-IBM cables are available, I saw a few at Comdex. I was told it's the same as the RS/6000 external SCSI connector. As far as set-up, it was plug-n-play for me. I set NOTHING. The controller found the drive, and when I added a SECOND drive, and a tape, I just set the SCSI ID on the new drive and tape, and re-ran the reference disk. I highly recomend the IBM controller (assuming comparable pricing.) hh