Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!math.fu-berlin.de!tmpmbx!netmbx!herbing
From: herbing@netmbx.UUCP (Uwe Herbing)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs.scsi
Subject: Re: 1542B & MD21's working - kinda.
Message-ID: <2406@netmbx.UUCP>
Date: 16 Jun 91 11:38:09 GMT
References: <1991Jun14.094730.3133@nicsn1.monsanto.com>
Organization: netmbx, Berlin, Germany
Lines: 38

kncarp@nicsn1.monsanto.com writes:

>I managed to get my Adaptec 1542B to drive my two Emulex MD21 controlled disk.

[stuff deleted]

>Problems:

>B) SuperPCK disk caching won't work - complains about unknown physical device
>   for the SCSI disk, continues to work fine on the other internal disk.
>   IMHO this is a major hit.

Try to install PCKWIK.SYS directly after ASPIDISK.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file.
This works for me, although the manual says, the PCKWIK.SYS driver is for
Bernoullli drives, but it apparently makes SUPERPCK.COM caching a drives,
even if does'nt know its physical adress.
  
>C) Diagnostic routines like Spinrite and QAPLUS don't know the disk exist.
>   It would be nice to have something be able to perform a detail surface
>   check (like Spinrites 84 patterns).

I think to my best knowledge, that you have to live with this, my Norton
Utilities cannot read the partition table from a drive handled by
ASPIDISK.SYS, maybe this limitation exists, because the guys at Adaptec
designed ASPIDISK.SYS to handle everything beyond the normal two fixed-
disks, recognized by DOS.
  
>D) Having Format and Verify in BIOS only make future expansion painful,
>   especially for SCID-ID 2-6.

There is a utility, i got with a package with Adaptec Utilties written by
Roy Neese, its called AHAUTILS.EXE and performs exactly like the ROM-based
Utilities, with the exception, that Quit does not reboot, but brings you
back to the DOS prompt.

Kai
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kai-Uwe Herbing       |   phone 49-30-3126145             |   I don't claim any Weimarer Strasse 28   |                                   |   warranty for tips D-1000 Berlin 12      |   herbing@netmbx                  |   tricks, hints and Fed.Rep.of Germany    |   herbing%netmbx@db0tui6.bitnet   |   suggestions given -------------------------------------------------------------------------------