Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!jarthur!uunet!gistdev!flint From: flint@gistdev.gist.com (Flint Pellett) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: SCSI Board Info Request Message-ID: <1018@gistdev.gist.com> Date: 9 Oct 90 16:39:12 GMT References: <9254@orca.wv.tek.com> <1990Oct07.173315.6532@nstar.uucp> Organization: Global Information Systems Technology Inc., Savoy, IL Lines: 50 larry@nstar.uucp (Larry Snyder) writes: >mhorne@ka7axd.WV.TEK.COM (Mike Horne) writes: >>I've got a couple of SCSI hard drives that I'd like to install in my PC. >>I'm looking for SCSI controller recommendations, in particular: >> - I need a 16-bit SCSI controller that will be fast. >> - I need the corresponding SCSI driver software (I would assume that >> this would come with the board). I would also like to find a >> driver that will allow me to do system backups to a SCSI streaming >> tape drive. >>An Adaptec card has been recommended to me (I don't know the model number), >>but I'm also interested in others. >The best SCSI controller available for AT bus machines is the >Adaptec 1542B. By best - the 1542 yields the fastest throughput >under 386 Unix (Interactive) and DOS, and with the public domain >support utilities to re-program the devices - one can really make >the 1542 shine as compared against the other controllers on the >market. Several folks with the WD 1007 FAST controllers have reported >problems with a lack of support - and slower throughput.. I'd be careful about calling it the "best". It may be "best for the money" but there are (IMO) better controllers available, but for more money. For example, the PSI Hyper-Store controller. (There may be others that are even better than it, but I don't know of them.) This controller has several features that are rather nice. For example: the controller has a generic part and then small (4" x 4") media adapter(s) mounted on the end: it can have up to 7 media adapters at once, with various combinations for different types of disks. For example, you could install it with one SCSI media adapter, one ESDI, and one RLL, and then use all three types of disks in your machine with only one controller. If you stack 7 SCSI adapters, the one controller can connect 49 SCSI devices. Two years from now when the world decides SCSI-2 (or whatever) is the way to go, instead of buying a whole new controller and throwing away your old disk, or burning 2 slots for 2 controllers, on the PSI you can just add a SCSI-2 adapter. (You will have to make sure you have a short card next to this one, but who doesn't have at least one short ports card or mouse card?) The Hyperstore also has up to 4MB of memory on the controller for doing caching- not that big a deal in UNIX, but a big win in DOS. (Virtually all the benchmark programs report back a 0.4 ms (yes, 4/10th, not 4) access times because they never use up the whole cache. -- Flint Pellett, Global Information Systems Technology, Inc. 1800 Woodfield Drive, Savoy, IL 61874 (217) 352-1165 uunet!gistdev!flint or flint@gistdev.gist.com