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From: iverson@xstor.com (Tim Iverson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.periphs.scsi
Subject: Re: SCSI integration (was Re: How much faster is a 16 bit SCSI Card than the ST02?)
Message-ID: <1991Jun04.021840.13887@xstor.com>
Date: 4 Jun 91 02:18:40 GMT
References: <1991Jun03.232223.13160@xstor.com>
Reply-To: iverson@xstor.com
Followup-To: comp.periphs.scsi
Organization: Storage Dimensions, Inc.
Lines: 70

In article <1991Jun03.223143.12788@xstor.com> nelson_p@apollo.com writes:
>
>>SCSI is easier to integrate and (with some drivers) more reliable.

> I've had complaints from Windows and Desqview over DMA-intensive
> devices like my scanner and DMA-heavy activities like Fastback
> (backup software).   Will this be a problem with bus-mastering
> SCSI devices?

The only DMA problem I've heard of with the Adaptec board has to do with
operating the floppy and transfering from/to the scsi-bus at the same time;
if the bus on/off time is not set properly, the floppy will starve for data.

[Roy, if you're listening, chime in - I know you know the real story, 'cuz
 you're the one who told me about it!]

> Also on both the Adaptec BBS and on Compuserve 
> I've seen references to conflicts between the 1542 and VGA cards!

I've used both the Adaptec 1542B and the BusTek 540 with the ATI VGA Wonder,
the Paradise VGA plus, and the Orchid ProDesigner/2; all work fine.  The
ATI did seem to have problems when I cranked up the DMA transfer rate, but
they all worked at the normal 5MB/s.

> One thing that makes me nervous about Adaptec, despite their good
> reputation and market share, is tech support.

Roy Neese [adaptec SCSI/154x guru] is on the net and is very helpful w.r.t.
Adaptec specific questions and problems.  Tech-supprt is not his real job,
though, so don't pester him needlessly :-).

> does Adaptec expect a dealer to use for a $300 sale?    Anyway,
> I can't find any local PC vendors which are familiar enough with
> Adaptec products to handle installation problems.

A small plug: the company I work for, Storage Dimensions, markets disk
subsystems (board+host adapter+software+support).  There is a very big push
here to be the "Nordstrom's" of disk subsystms - both support and customer
satisfaction are very important us.

> The place I bought my computer prefers W.D. SCSI boards but I know
> nothing about W.D. stuff and I heard a rumour this weekend on Compuserve
> that W.D. is getting out of the board business.  This would be a disaster
> for a SCSI board because the board-maker typically supplies the drivers.

I have a slight bias again the WD7000, mostly because of techinical problems
in the early releases.  Also, its interface is not as well supported as the
154x interface.

> Future Domain is another SCSI board maker I know nothing about. 

Similar to Always (port i/o driven), but without the interrupt problem.

> And then, of course, there's the SCSI -vs- SCSI-2 issue.  How important
> is it that I get a board which is SCSI-2 compliant?

Not very.  Most drives and boards that advertise SCSI-2 right now are SCSI-2
in command set only, not in hardware.  Real soon now, you will see fast and
wide SCSI-2, but at the moment it is not available.

> SO -- Is SCSI only a product for pioneers or people who like to
> tinker?   I want a hassle-free SCSI install and someone to back me up
> if I get into trouble.

Give us a call: 408/879-0300.

>                                                       ---Peter

- Tim Iverson
  iverson@xstor.com -/- uunet!xstor!iverson