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From: ersys!bking@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (Barry King)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.programmer,comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: Disk driver for Adaptec 154x board.
Keywords: adaptec os/2 scsi disk driver 1.21
Message-ID: <02LZZ3w164w@ersys.uucp>
Date: 6 Apr 91 14:57:20 GMT
References: <fiasco.670283646@ntcpyr>
Organization: Edmonton Remote Systems, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Lines: 64

fiasco@ntcpyr.sc.sni-usa.com (Rich Gircys) writes:

> I am in desparate need of the OS/2 version 1.21 driver for the adaptec
> 154x board. I have been in contact with adaptec regarding this issue
> since Dec of last year, and just yesterday they shocked me by replying
> to my email by saying that they're not even working on it! This comes
> after numerous vague promises that it would soon be ready.
> 
> Does anybody else have this need? If so, please let me know so that maybe
> an organized efort will make adaptec take notice. Also open to any other
> reasonable suggestions (not including getting an ESDI drive which I am
> tempted to do).
> 
> As a summary of the current support for SCSI under OS/2, I present the
> following:
> 
> 	o SCSI/adaptec suported without special drivers only in machines
> 	  with ABIOS (Advanced BIOS). This includes PS/2 and a few others.
> 
> 	o Otherwise, you need a driver from the OEM of the board which in
> 	  this case is an unresponsive, brain dead adaptec corp.
> 
> Adaptec, I hope you're reading this cause if this is the way you do business,
> I've bought/recommended for purchase my last adaptec product.
> 
> P.S. If an email response if forthcoming, email to:
> 
> 		fiasco@infoserv.com    or
> 		{...uunet}!infoserv!fiasco
> 
> Thanks
> 
> G. R. Gircys

 
I have an Adaptec 1540B sitting on a shelf collecting dust for exactly 
that reason.  Too bad - it's a decent board.  I opted to go with a DPT 
PM2001/95.  It emulates a WD-1003x controller and therefore works with 
any o/s.  The gotcha is that it only supports two SCSI drives in 
emulation mode BUT DPT is working on or has drivers - at least they 
support their products! (TAKE  NOTE Adaptec!!!  You've lost customers...)
 
The DPT is very fast, faster than the 1540B.  It's got a full 16 bit data 
path and uses a 10 MHz 68000 as it's processor.  SCSI overhead is 1 ms 
faster than the 1540B according to Core tests under DOS. (Seek times 
dropped using the DPT - I assume this is due to reduced overhead...)  
Also, throughput increased a few percent with the DPT.  Anyway, it's one 
hell of a board.  DPT sells cacheing and EISA versions of the 
'SmartConnex', as they call it.
 
If you do not need support for more than two SCSI drives (and don't have 
a SCSI tape unit) I highly recommend the DPT SmartConnex as an interim 
solution for OS/2 use.
 
If you find out that DPT has OS/2 drivers available for the SmartConnex, 
I'd appreciate hearing about it.
 
Good luck sorting this out.  (Buy the SmartConnex :-)  )
 
P.S.  I am in no way associated with DPT other than as a very satisfied 
customer.

Barry King             ersys!bking@nro.cs.athabascau.ca
Edmonton Remote Systems:  Serving Northern Alberta since 1982