SCSI2SD Woes

[Arnie]

Here is a 2gb Sandisk hdf from my card. It has 1 formatted partition. Boot from WB to see if it mounts the partition.

You will need to write the image to your 2gb card using WinImage.

[emufan]

Originally Posted by azuvix

Odd question, but is my version of HDToolBox just not up to this? .

you can try HDInstTool 6.9 - Harddisk Installation Tool.
you have to set the DEVICE tooltype in the icon information requester.

[azuvix]

Thanks for the image, Arnie. I'm in an all-Unix environment at the moment, so I'll be using dd. I assume that the only special setting will be the byte-sectors. This will be the next thing I try. If I absolutely have to use WinUAE for any further steps, I can always borrow my in-laws' computer.

emufan, I did set that parameter earlier to "gvpscsi.device". Or is that not what you meant?

Screenshots are on the agenda for today, so sit tight.

[azuvix]

Alright, now to make my crimes public, in the form of screenshots.







The first screenshot was something I just checked on a whim - the partitions are, in fact, being created in a form my laptop recognizes. I've seen the same results with the 2, 4, and 16 GB cards after partitioning. I guess that's comforting.

Only device 1 is configured for anything, and you can see all its settings there.

Also just for kicks and giggles, I tried out making a much smaller partition (31 MB) on my 2 GB card with Faaastprep. It worked as long as I kept everything running and even allowed for a Workbench 2.04 install, but the second I rebooted, the partition was nowhere to be found and the A500 wouldn't boot from the card.

I also took Arnie's suggestion and used the image he supplied on my 2 GB card, using 512 bytes/sector. It wrote just fine, but again, it's not recognized.

Well, I'm out of ideas. Is something wrong with the hard disk controller itself? Maybe the SCSI2SD? I'm still hoping it's a PEBKAC problem.

[emufan]

Originally Posted by azuvix

emufan, I did set that parameter earlier to "gvpscsi.device". Or is that not what you meant?

yes, thats what you have to tell these hdd prep tools
it should read with HDInstTool DEVICE=gvpscsi.device

i've no clue at all about the scsi2sd card, so I cannot give any advice here.
but dont give up, there will be some solution.

[Arnie]

Here are 3 screenshots of the HDF image prepped and formatted using faaastprep. Do yours look anything like these?

[Sinphaltimus]

I'm very curious about something. Maybe your auto boot switch is bad or going? Can you try with a jumper applied instead?

I do use ExpertPrep against everyone's advise because it's the only tool I get working. However, after changing the tooltype for HDToolbox, there is one thing I use it for. I'll open it up and if it says drive changed, I will save changes to drive. That's about it.

Maybe you should set it up again like you did and see if you get the same option before you reboot? It could just be something as simple as the partition table not getting committed so it's lost at the reboot. (Or whatever way the Amiga handles partitioning like the "write changes to disk" option I get in HDToolbox)

Are you supplying power to the SCSI2SD?

Are you sure all termination is correct according to any documentation?

http://www.amigis.nl/imagesfora/GVP-...al-English.pdf

https://archive.org/details/GVP_Impa...GVP_A500-A2000

[lost_loven]

Update ? get it working?

[Arnie]

Last I heard, he was on his knees with his head in the oven, but that didn't work; termination problems.

[azuvix]

Originally Posted by Arnie

Last I heard, he was on his knees with his head in the oven, but that didn't work; termination problems.

Funny, I must admit.

I apologize for the hiatus, folks. The holiday and weekend got pretty busy.

So, I used a terminator instead of the switch. No difference at all. It's got power attached and always has. The documentation indicates that the last device in the chain is the only one requiring resistor packs, and my SCSI2SD still has both sets attached. Is that as it should be?

I'll take another shot at using Arnie's image and report back in a few. I don't recall Faaastprep seeing the partitions when I tried it earlier, but maybe I did something wrong.

[azuvix]

Well, geez. Arnie, your image writes correctly, shows up in GParted, appears and is completely valid in FS-UAE using my Workbench 3.1 HDToolbox, acts as a useable FFS partition after a quick format, survives and is read after an FS-UAE reboot, then... dramatically disappears once I put it in the sidecar and try to read it with Workbench 2.04 on the metal. My, you'd think it would have stopped fighting by now. XP

It seems that the problem's isolated a bit more now, but I still wouldn't know how to troubleshoot it. I'll keep persisting as long as you fine people have the patience.

[Sinphaltimus]

Originally Posted by azuvix

Funny, I must admit.

I apologize for the hiatus, folks. The holiday and weekend got pretty busy.

So, I used a terminator instead of the switch. No difference at all. It's got power attached and always has. The documentation indicates that the last device in the chain is the only one requiring resistor packs, and my SCSI2SD still has both sets attached. Is that as it should be?

I'll take another shot at using Arnie's image and report back in a few. I don't recall Faaastprep seeing the partitions when I tried it earlier, but maybe I did something wrong.

I hope this helps clarify...

From the manual.

SCSI ID:
Each SCSI peripheral must have its own SCSIID. SCSI IDs range
from zero to seven. However, the Impact Series II controller itself uses
SCSIID number seven. Therefore no other SCSI peripheral may use a
SCSIID = 7.

Terminating the SCSI Bus:
Since SCSI devices are chained one after another in a "daisy chain ,"
the last device needs some special attention. The end of the SCSI bus
must be terminated with terminating resistors. Terminating resistor packs are small plastic packages, usually with eight pins coming out of them.

Note: Some SCSI peripherals do not have terminating packs, instead they have terminating plugs/connectors which serve the same purpose. Please refer to the appropriate user's guide for more information.

Only the last SCSI device in the chain should contain the resistor
packs. It is essential that the terminating resistor packs are removed from all but the last SCSI device. If there are both internal and external SCSI devices, then the last external SCSI device is considered to be the last device. therefore using the terminating resistor packs.

This means that all the terminating resistor packs have to be removed from all the other SCSI devices. Please note that GYP removes all terminating resistor packs on hard drives that are mounted on GVP Controllers. so removing them is not necessary.


Cabling:
When multiple SCSI devices are used. there are special cabling
considerations to be taken into account. When only internal SCSI
devices are being used. a "daisy~chain" cable is used. This cable is a flat
50~pin ribbon cable with multiple connections. In other words. this cable
can be started at one SCSI device and then connected to a second and
then to a third and so on.
If external SCSI devices are being used. they need a different cable.
The cable they use is wrapped in a thin metal foil providing a shield as per
FCC regulation. This is necessary so that the signals leaving your computer do not interfere with other electronic devices. This cable attaches
to the back of the GYP Impact Series II controller through a 25~pin
connector. The other end of the cable usually has a 50~pin shielded
connector which attaches to the external SCSI device. Both the internal
and external SCSI cables are available through your authorized
GYP dealer.

[azuvix]

Ah, so with the current configuration, even if the SCSI2SD is the only device attached to the sidecar, it can't be device 7 or there will be a conflict. Got it.

Then, where the SCSI2SD is set at SCSIID=0, does that make the sidecar itself the end of the chain? Or am I totally off track?

[Arnie]

This advice is from my experience with the CDTV and the SCSI2SD card:
The sidecar is the controller, it's the first in the chain. (Usually terminated)
The SCSI2SD is a device, it can have any ID except that of the controller (in this case 7).
If it's the only device in the chain then it's the end of the chain and should be terminated.
If you have more than one SCSIi connector on the cable then it's best if you put the SCS2SD card at the end of the cable.

[azuvix]

Ah, gotcha. So it appears the current hardware configuration is correct, given that the terminators are on, the ID is 0, it's at the end of the short cable, and there are no other attached SCSI devices. Maybe some pictures would help, just to triple-check.

I noticed that, despite updating the firmware, the revision number reported by the SCSI2SD doesn't change by default (see screenshots). Could that be creating an issue?

If it's not a hardware problem, it does strike me as odd that just using a slightly earlier version of Workbench and HDToolbox would fail. Is that even a real possibility?

[lost_loven]

why not change the scsi id to 4 or 5 just to see?

[Sinphaltimus]

Originally Posted by Arnie

This advice is from my experience with the CDTV and the SCSI2SD card:
The sidecar is the controller, it's the first in the chain. (Usually terminated)
The SCSI2SD is a device, it can have any ID except that of the controller (in this case 7).
If it's the only device in the chain then it's the end of the chain and should be terminated.
If you have more than one SCSIi connector on the cable then it's best if you put the SCS2SD card at the end of the cable.

This is a traditional setup and one that anyone would expect to work but I wonder if the GVP controller does something different since GVP states that they remove the terminating resistors from their hard drives shipped with the controller. I think, for curiosity sake, It might be worth not terminating the SCSI2SD and have it be the only SCSI device connected to see how that behaves.

I would never think to do that, but the actual manual seems to say, that's the way to do it. I have 2 internal and 1 external device so I'm only terminating the external one. I don't feel like testing this out myself because I would have to dismantel a bunch of things to do so and I'm feeling real lazy.

[Arnie]

Did the GVP ship with XT or SCSI drives?

[azuvix]

Worth a try, I guess. I'll gingerly remove the terminator packs and see what sort of difference it makes.

[azuvix]

Pardon the double post. No such luck - all that does is stop the machine from booting at all. I'll try the remaining suggestions a little later tonight.