BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Problems with your machine in general.
digitalman
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2022 6:59 pm

BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by digitalman »

Recently had the original internal hard drive fail and attempted to replace with a BlueSCSI (BS). Unfortunately the MegaST2 does not see the BS at all. Logs on the BS appear to show all LUNs mounting. Wondering if its a compatibility issue with my SCSI adapter. It's not a part I am familiar with. See image. Any advice is appreciated.

IMG_20220807_133934.jpg
IMG_20220807_133934.jpg (64.87 KiB) Viewed 1070 times
User avatar
tOriman
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:08 pm
Contact:

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by tOriman »

Hi,

Maybe it is a SCSI parity problem? What disk you have - type?
Unfortunately a diagram of ICD's Micro SCSI adapter doesn't exist but this interface is very reliable and you shouldn't have problem with it. Maybe interface is damaged. This is very old device and may have stopped working due to bitflip, i.e. de-programming of one of the GAL chips. Such things are difficult to diagnose at a distance. You need to test the adapter with a different disk - it is a fastest way - first step.

Regards
tOri
http://atari.myftp.org ATARI - Power without price and necessary elements
various varieties for Atari and not only - useful or not, but it's worth a look ...
User avatar
derkom
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1208
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:45 pm

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by derkom »

tOriman wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:34 pm This is very old device and may have stopped working due to bitflip, i.e. de-programming of one of the GAL chips.
Given that his hard drive was working fine until it recently failed (assuming it's the drive itself that failed), I would suspect the explanation is something simpler than this.
User avatar
tOriman
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:08 pm
Contact:

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by tOriman »

derkom wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:11 pm
tOriman wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:34 pm This is very old device and may have stopped working due to bitflip, i.e. de-programming of one of the GAL chips.
Given that his hard drive was working fine until it recently failed (assuming it's the drive itself that failed), I would suspect the explanation is something simpler than this.
Hi,

We don't know it for sure (edit: digitalman wrote that BS log tells that device is identified), therefore I proposed digitalman test his ICD adapter with another 100% good SCSI disk. "SGS-THOMSON guarantees data retention exceeding 20 years" - LOL. These devices will die faster as we think...But sure - explanation can be simpler :) Anyway - it is difficult to make proper diagnose here. It is possible that BS can be damaged in some way.

EDIT: it looks like something like compatibility/configuration problem...Officially Atari is not supported.

Nice ICD Micro adapter - very good to reverse-engineering :)

Regards
tOri
http://atari.myftp.org ATARI - Power without price and necessary elements
various varieties for Atari and not only - useful or not, but it's worth a look ...
digitalman
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2022 6:59 pm

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by digitalman »

Well...I didn't want to say but yeah, I am worried maybe my SCSI adapter is not working. It would react with the SCSI drive attached, at least an LED but I get nothing with the BlueSCSI. I don't have another SCSI drive to test with.
digitalman
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2022 6:59 pm

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by digitalman »

tOriman wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:34 pm Hi,

Maybe it is a SCSI parity problem? What disk you have - type?
Unfortunately a diagram of ICD's Micro SCSI adapter doesn't exist but this interface is very reliable and you shouldn't have problem with it. Maybe interface is damaged. This is very old device and may have stopped working due to bitflip, i.e. de-programming of one of the GAL chips. Such things are difficult to diagnose at a distance. You need to test the adapter with a different disk - it is a fastest way - first step.

Regards
tOri
The original drive is a Quantum 40MB PowerDrive LPS. Was working then stopped. After some trial and error I was getting "Sense $10" errors but not consistently. Usually just nothing. The whole bus was not working, I couldn't read floppies until I removed the drive. With the BS at least the floppy is working.
User avatar
tOriman
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:08 pm
Contact:

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by tOriman »

digitalman wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:10 am The original drive is a Quantum 40MB PowerDrive LPS. Was working then stopped. After some trial and error I was getting "Sense $10" errors but not consistently. Usually just nothing. The whole bus was not working, I couldn't read floppies until I removed the drive. With the BS at least the floppy is working.
Hi,

This tells almost everything. "the whole bus was not working. I couldn't read floppies until I removed the drive".
I assume that you removed drive with adapter. This looks like true electronic failure of adapter or SCSI hard disk. All DMA stopped.

Only a test using 100% working disk should tell you the truth.

I have some SCSI disks and other adapters. From where are you?

Regards
tOri
http://atari.myftp.org ATARI - Power without price and necessary elements
various varieties for Atari and not only - useful or not, but it's worth a look ...
User avatar
derkom
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1208
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:45 pm

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by derkom »

tOriman wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:30 pm We don't know it for sure, therefore I proposed digitalman test his ICD adapter with another 100% good SCSI disk.
I agree, just wanted to make sure digitalman doesn't get distracted by a complicated possibility when simple things may be the solution.

@digitalman, you say you don't have any other SCSI devices, but do you have any other Atari (or other machine) you can test the failed drive in?

Also, you could possibly pick up something like a SCSI2SD, which are known to work fine with Ataris, and test your ICD host adapter with that.
User avatar
tOriman
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2022 1:08 pm
Contact:

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by tOriman »

Hi,

Sure. Let's wait for digitalman's reply. How will he diagnose this problem. Not too many have more Ataris than one ;)

Regards
tOri
http://atari.myftp.org ATARI - Power without price and necessary elements
various varieties for Atari and not only - useful or not, but it's worth a look ...
User avatar
derkom
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1208
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:45 pm

Re: BlueSCSI and MegaST2

Post by derkom »

tOriman wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 7:40 am Not too many have more Ataris than one ;)
I can tell you're new around here... ;) Most of the members of this forum, myself included, have what we might describe as a "problem". :lol:
Post Reply

Return to “HARDWARE ISSUES”