kevinr@sequent.UUCP (Kevin W. Rudd) (12/21/90)
I don't think that my original posting ever made it out, so I am trying again. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between Adaptec's 1542A and 1542B SCSI controllers is? I am planning on using one of them in an ACMA 386/20 system with a Maxtor SCSI drive. I have heard of problems with the bus mastering on these boards. Does this apply for both the A and B? Is there a way of telling whether the system will have trouble with the board before forking out the money for one? Any advanced advice would be helpful. TIA -- Kevin W. Rudd Sequent Computer Systems 800-854-9969 kevinr@sequent.com or ...uunet!sequent!kevinr
larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) (12/21/90)
kevinr@sequent.UUCP (Kevin W. Rudd) writes: > Can anyone tell me what the difference is between Adaptec's 1542A and >1542B SCSI controllers is? I am planning on using one of them in an ACMA >386/20 system with a Maxtor SCSI drive. I have heard of problems with the bus >mastering on these boards. Does this apply for both the A and B? Is there a >way of telling whether the system will have trouble with the board before >forking out the money for one? Any advanced advice would be helpful. I remember seeing your original posting, the 1542A is physically a larger board (full sized) while the B is a 2/3 sized board. Throughput is the same on board boards. The 1542 with a pair of fast SCSI drivers will out-shine most other disk configurations (at least with 386/ix). I am happy as can be with the SCSI disk subsystem here on nstar -- -- Larry Snyder, Northern Star Communications, Notre Dame, IN USA {larry@nstar.rn.com, uunet!nstar!larry, larry%nstar@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu} backbone usenet newsfeeds available Public Access Unix Site (219) 289-0282 (5 high speed lines)
jay@metran.UUCP (Jay Ts) (12/23/90)
In article <1990Dec21.113850.4872@nstar.rn.com>, larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes: > kevinr@sequent.UUCP (Kevin W. Rudd) writes: > > > Can anyone tell me what the difference is between Adaptec's 1542A and > >1542B SCSI controllers is? I am planning on using one of them in an ACMA > >386/20 system with a Maxtor SCSI drive. I have heard of problems with the bus > >mastering on these boards. Does this apply for both the A and B? Is there a > >way of telling whether the system will have trouble with the board before > >forking out the money for one? Any advanced advice would be helpful. > > I remember seeing your original posting, the 1542A is physically a larger > board (full sized) while the B is a 2/3 sized board. Throughput is the > same on board boards. (Just my opinion, but the 1542B seems much better constructed, too. A nice product, if you ignore the almost nonexistent tech support by phone; the recorded message I got said, effectively, "leave us alone and go talk to your reseller". They must have learned to do this from ISC :-) Due to a failed floppy controller, I just had to replace the 1542A in my system with a new 1542B. I was a bit nervous, too, from reading of the above-mentioned problems, so I called ISC and ESIX, and they did not have any reported problems on file. In any case, I *had* to replace the failed board real quick to get my system running again. I tried the 1542B, and found that it works with ISC 2.0.2 and ESIX rD with no problem (on *my* system). I'm not sure, but I think one or two defaults may be different. For example, (I should really go check this, sorry...) I think the default DMA speed for the 1542A was 5.0 Mb/sec, whereas the jumper on the 1542B is shipped as 5.7 Mb/sec. Well, I guess I've left a hole for Roy Neese at adaptec to fill in if I'm wrong. Um, Roy? And if anyone needs a 1542A with a nonfunctional floppy controller (the hard disk controller still works), give me a buzz ... > The 1542 with a pair of fast SCSI drivers will out-shine most other > disk configurations (at least with 386/ix). I am happy as can be with > the SCSI disk subsystem here on nstar -- .. Otherwise, I'll just save it for a future upgrade! Jay Ts, Director Metran Technology uunet!pdn!tscs!metran!jay
chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Chip Rosenthal) (12/25/90)
In article <354@metran.UUCP> jay@metran.UUCP (Jay Ts) writes: >A nice product, if you ignore the almost nonexistent tech support by phone; >the recorded message I got said, effectively, "leave us alone and go talk to >your reseller". And if you are the reseller, Adaptec tells you to talk to the distributor. The 1542B seems like a good card, but the Bustek SCSI adapter seems equivalent functionally, at a cheaper price. I don't jump to different vendors to save $25. However, I can't see paying a premium to get lousy support. These days I'm installing Bustek cards. -- Chip Rosenthal 512-482-8260 | We was raising insurance premiums, ma. Unicom Systems Development | We was spreading fear of arson. <chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM> | - Michelle Shocked
erast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Evan R Aussenberg) (12/25/90)
In article <1768@chinacat.Unicom.COM> chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Chip Rosenthal) writes: |In article <354@metran.UUCP> jay@metran.UUCP (Jay Ts) writes: |>A nice product, if you ignore the almost nonexistent tech support by phone; |>the recorded message I got said, effectively, "leave us alone and go talk to |>your reseller". | |And if you are the reseller, Adaptec tells you to talk to the distributor... |However, I can't see paying a premium to get [poor support...] Interesting.... I bought my 1542B in september. Didn't have any problems with it, but I did have a couple of questions on its sync. abilities. I got the same recording as above, but somehow I also either got through or found another number. I just told them my distrib. wasn't available and I had questions. My card pamphlet mentions a bbs (I've never tried it) at (408)945-7727 1200/2400 baud. |Chip Rosenthal 512-482-8260 | We was raising insurance premiums, ma. |Unicom Systems Development | We was spreading fear of arson. |<chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM> | - Michelle Shocked -- Evan Ron Aussenberg erast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu IN%"erast1@pittunix"
larry@nstar.rn.com (Larry Snyder) (12/25/90)
chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Chip Rosenthal) writes: >And if you are the reseller, Adaptec tells you to talk to the distributor. >The 1542B seems like a good card, but the Bustek SCSI adapter seems >equivalent functionally, at a cheaper price. I don't jump to different >vendors to save $25. However, I can't see paying a premium to get >lousy support. These days I'm installing Bustek cards. we found the bustek to even boot Intel Release 4.0 - when the Adaptec 1542B failed -- -- Larry Snyder, Northern Star Communications, Notre Dame, IN USA {larry@nstar.rn.com, uunet!nstar!larry, larry%nstar@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu} backbone usenet newsfeeds available Public Access Unix Site (219) 289-0282 (5 high speed lines)