On Wed, 28 Apr 1999 jim@dmv.net wrote:

> Dilog SQ706A SCSI controller...  anyone know what magic incantations I
> have to do to get this thing to recognize disks attached to it?
> 
> Machine in question is a KA655 (MV3+, or 3900). I am assuming I should
> see the configured disk(s) when I do show dev at the >>> prompt, like
> my other 3rd party qbus disk controllers do.  It isn't very
> informative, usually just saying something like DUA1 (RA81) or
> somesuch but is an effective basic functionality test.
> 
> I get nothing but this:  -?  I assume this means the card did not
> respond with it's list of attached devices.
> 
> The disk I am testing with is from one of my MV3100's and has bootable
> VMS 6.2 on it.
> 
> The only sign of life I get from it when attached to the SQ706 is the
> busy light on the drive lights for a couple seconds when I issue the
> UNJAM command at the >>> prompt.  I assume this is the SQ706 simply
> resetting the SCSI bus.
> 
> The config options in the resident diagnostics are not real
> comprehensive.  All I see is a place to manually set the drive
> numbers.  The drive I am using is set for SCSI ID 0, so all drive/node
> numbers in the Dilog config are also set to 0.  This should work?
> 
> Please tell me the drive does not need to be formatted using the
> format option in the diagnostics menu in order to be recognized by the
> card.
> 
> Anyone using/used one of these successfully?  What am I overlooking?

I'm using one in a MicroVAX II without problems.  It's been a good year or
so since I configured it though.  I'll try to look at my setup by this
weekend.

I don't have the specs on this controller, but I remember the setup being
very intuitive.  I just hooked up my VT240 to the SQ706A and plunked away.
But since I don't have the specs on the controller, I set things up with a
good dose of SCSI paranoia in mind.

[1] You may not be able to use disks larger that 1GB on this controller.
    I have no idea though so I opted to just use a 1GB Fujitsu which
    worked out fine.

[2] I didn't use SCSI ID 0, because sometimes SCSI controllers don't like
    to use ID 0.  I don't know enough about SCSI controllers to know why
    this is the case, but I've had problems with PCs and SGIs in the past
    where setting one device at SCSI ID 0 causes *strange happenings* on
    the bus to which the device is connected. (e.g. the single ID 0
    device gets detected on ID 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7)

[3] Maybe use the built in SQ706A disk formatter.  Well, I did, and
    nothing blew up.  Try [1] and [2] first, and then maybe consider
    using the formatter.

The drive shows up as an RA80, but the geometry is correct for the actual
SCSI drive.

-brian.
---
Brian "JARAI" Chase | http://world.std.com/~bdc/ | VAXZilla LIVES!!!