Scsi: Case connector, cable mixing, drive settings

[J_M_C_123]

Hello. From (http://www.basoncomputer.com) I purchased an external SCSI U160 68pin 36G HD last week; it came with case, ext U160 3'cable and terminator (it is actually an 80pin atlas[maxtor nee quantum], adapted for 68pin insided the case and they didn't advertize it as such). It didn't come with any how-to information.

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1)
I need to know which connector on the the case's back is 'IN' and which is 'OUT' (terminated). Top and bottom: which is which?

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2)
I have an onboard adaptec UW3 scsi card(UW2930, preLVD) --as for its 68 pin use it only has one internal 68 pin connector(unlike some scsi *cards* which have an internal male connector and an external female). I found an internal to external cable that came with the motherboard; It is an old UW3 cable.

A cable similar to what I'm refering to: http://www.mcpb.com/html/sier68x368f.html

The cable has two internal connectors and then it continues on to an external (female) connector. I'll hook the new bason supplied u160 external cable and drive to that. Is that okay?-- Will the mixing of cables hurt the data?

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3)
This is my Hard Drive set up now--
-drive0= Viking; drive1= Ultrastar LVD
-[uw2930 onboard]_____(int LVD cable)_____[drive0]____[drive1] (LVD terminated on cable).


My set up after I install the new bason drive--
-[uw2930]______(old UW3 int to ext cable)____[0]__[1]_____/(female connector)/______(the bason supplied external U160 cable)____[2]ext (terminated with bason supplied terminator).

Do I have to set the last of my internal drives ("[1]") to 'TP' or anything special?

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4)
Another question... If I used my internal to external cable from above but only installed the two internal drives on it, could I terminate it at the female connector? ie...

uw2930____0__1___/fem connector/ (terminator cap, which bason supplied, on the female connector here at the back of the computer).

Is that possible or would the termination be too far away from the final drive? (Is this where "TP" comes in?)

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5)
Scsi ID numbers are for each cable or all scsi devices? Ie say a system has 5 SCSI devices; three 68 pin and two 50 pin. Would it be 68 pin = IDs "0,1,2" and the 50 pin = IDs "0,1" or all drives on card = IDs 0-5?

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A little sheet of paper with a drawing showing the ext case's back connectors in/out scheme and other relevant info could come in the box with bason drives, for inexperienced people.

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Thank you for any help.

 

[Crashman]

1) Doesn't matter, it's a pass-through cable with the drive in the middle.

2) No problem, it will be limited to U3W speed. You can put drives internally on that cable and still have an external connection.

3) Umm, isn't TP only used when you use termination on the drive itself? Try it with TP off and see what happens since you're terminating the cable itself after the drive.

4) Not likely, SCSI supports up to 6' cable length I think.

5) Depends on if they are on separate channels. Some controlers put two connectors on one channel.

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[J_M_C_123]

Thanks Crashman. My important questions were solved nicely.

On "Nr)4" I'm not clear. [nr4 was "terminate on the external female connector of the internal to external cable at the back of the computer without hooking up the external cable, case and drive?"]

So to anyone or crashman: can I terminate far away from the final drive on the chain? ...Can I terminate that female connector of the internal to external chain? (The reason this might be useful is if I want to use that new external drive for something else or protect it's data, I won't have to go inside and switch cables [to my two connector LVD internal].)

Nr5) I'll figure out through looking at what is already in my system.

Another bitch in this catagory is I heard external case SCSI ID selectors don't actually dilineate the scsi IDs in order. Ie case's 1 =ID0, but case's 4 =ID2 and etc! http://fieldhome.net:9080/scsi_faq//scsifaq.html#_IDswitches

Does anyone know anything about that!? Does that above faq answer apply only to older cases? (Oy!)

Continuing thanks

 

[Crashman]

Hmm, I wonder where all the SCSI experts are?

With your internal drives, if you don't want to use an external drive now but would like to in the future, I'd put the terminator on the breakout connection. And move it to the removable drive if you want to use that.

Something about active vs. passive termination comes to mind, but I've never gotten that complicated with my stuff.

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