blizzard ppc scsii problem

So I just got a fresh new cable for the scsi connector
on my old blizzppc 603 board. Trying to connect 2 different
CD-rom drives to the connector has failed miserably, so I think I need some help...

The "SCSI" menu of the blizzppc boot menu (ESC while boot) doesn't seem to find any devices no matter how I connect them. The scsiconfig program doesn't pick up on either devices or the controller.

Is there anything I can do to test if the controller itself is actually working or not? Is it possible to find the original phase 5 software anywhere on the web? Help!

@alfkil


from memory, I think you may want to try and enable all scsi units by hand as I don't think the devices will be shown if you don't enable them. Also, iirc there was no specific software from p5 for the scsi controller, but I could be wrong. It's simple as starting hdtoolbox and selecting blizzppc.device. That's for hds though not cd-roms.

@Vulture

I've tried in the SCSI boot menu to manually mount the device (should be unit 0 from the jumpers), but it doesn't change anything. The drive doesn't react and on boot it says that it cannot open blizzppc.device unit 0. By the way I've tried every other unit from 0 to 7, but nothing changes.

As far as I recall - from about 10 years back - it was pretty much plug-and-go for the drive to work. It could be a defective cable, who knows.

I have a few options to try still before returning the cable:

a) update the firmware
This is not a very pleasant option, since that was exactly what trashed my board back then. Anyhow, I can't get any of my old floppies to work (the update needs to run from floppy),
or maybe my floppy drive is defect, so that's pretty much no go.

b) try updating my roms to 3.1 and see if that helps. I have my doubts...

c) try more jumper/cable combinations. I think I already tried them all so, hey....

d) dunno what else to do..........

@alfkil

Software and documentation is available at http://phase5.a1k.org/

Make sure that your SCSI bus is correctly terminated as described in the manual.

Run UnitControl and click on Rescan. You should either get a very detailed error report or the device appears.

If the device appears in UnitControl only after a rescan, then your settings in the Esc menu are not correct.

If you get an error report, then something regarding the hardware is not correct, probably termination. But read the error report and try to understand it.

A firmware update, even if you flash the same version as you already have, is a good way to reset all options in the Esc menu to default.

Do not "try more combinations". Read the documentation, find out the one correct combination and use that. Using wrong settings will not only not work but may even damage your devices.

@thomas

UnitControl doesn't do anything (only grey lists and buttons except for "rescan", which doesn't seem to do anything). I've tried with a newer application called q-device, which probes the controller, but the units never show up. It works fine with a DVD-drive connected to the internal IDE port.

Of course I'm not just trying "random" jumper settings, I'm just testing fx. different ID settings and so. And just to be sure: The red line of the cable goes with pin 1 on the connector, right??

There is a jumper saying smth with "termination", and I keep this on. I'm guessing this is right? Anyways, I know I left the drive in a working state back when I lost the original cable, so I'm guessing that amigakit sent me a defective cable.

I'm only going to try flash update as a very last resort because of bad memories with it... Is there a way to check which update is already installed without actually installing a new one?

@alfkil

Quote:

Right.

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I don't know about the Blizzard PPC SCSI - I have the Cyberstorm PPC.
I assume you're talking about the jumpers at the back of your drive?
I have all "Term Power" and internal terminators switched off and use active terminstors on both ends of my SCSI chain.
My SCSI chain looks like this:
Active terminator (UW-SCSI)---CSPPC---4gB UW-SCSI HD---160gB IDE HD via Acard UW-SCSI->IDE adaptor---IDE-DVD-RW via Acard UW-SCSI->IDE adaptor---UW-SCSI to SCSI-II adaptor (actively terminating the upper 8 bit)---SCSI-II CD-ROM---SCSI-II CD-RW---SCSI-II tape streamer---slot bracket---external SCSI-II flatbed scanner---active SCSI-II terminator.

Quote:

Not impossible, but unlikely. Is your drive correctly supplied with power?
I once had corrosion problems on one pin of my hd power connector and already thought the drive was defective when I noticed the corrosion. Once I had cleaned the pins with commercially available contact sprays the drive worked O.K. again...