Subject: "Justin T. Gibbs": Re: 2940 & netbsd-current
To: None <port-i386@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Perry E. Metzger <perry@piermont.com>
List: port-i386
Date: 03/28/1996 19:33:22
Justin keeps talking about how the adaptec drivers in FreeBSD are far
more up to date/bug free than our own. Anyone out there going to
volunteer to re-port the things?

Perry

------- Forwarded Message

Message-Id: <199603281539.HAA08099@freefall.freebsd.org>
To: current-users@NetBSD.ORG
cc: clarence@cs.cuhk.hk
Subject: Re: 2940 & netbsd-current 
In-reply-to: Your message of "Thu, 28 Mar 1996 04:58:09 PST."
             <9603281258.AA01795@isolar.Tujunga.CA.US> 
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 07:39:07 -0800
From: "Justin T. Gibbs" <gibbs@freefall.freebsd.org>

>Uh, are there more than one Adaptec 2940's out there?  (Other than the 2940W
>Fast/Wide appelation, that is)

There are cards based on the aic7870 Rev B, aic7870 Rev C, and the aic7880.
The aic7880 supports Ultra SCSI (20MHz max sync).

>I could have sworn I was using one (running on a 1 day old -current):
>
>scipio# uname -a 
>NetBSD scipio.jpl.nasa.gov 1.1B NetBSD 1.1B (SCIPIO) #0: Wed Mar 27 04:48:18 
>PST
>1996     root@scipio.jpl.nasa.gov:/usr/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/SCIPIO i386
>
>ahc0 at pci0 dev 5 function 0ahc0: 294x Single Channel, SCSI Id=7, aic7870, 16
>SCBs

You have an older card, but the bugs are still in that driver and could
bite at any time.

>ahc0: Using Edge Triggered Interrupts
>ahc0: Downloading Sequencer Program...Done
>ahc0: Probing channel A
>scsibus0 at ahc0
>
>All I know is that this sucker *screams* and I've had *no* problems whatsoever
>that could be remotely considered disk-related ... certainly nothing like our
>friend from Hong Kong is suffering through ...

It really depends on load, type of drives, etc.  But since I was the one
who fixed the firmware bugs, I know just what kind of destruction they
can cause. 8-)  The aic7xxx cards do seem to be significantly faster than
the NCR 8XX cards especially with something like a wide Quantum Atlas.
The new driver also has some significant performance improvements when
compared to the ancient code NetBSD-current is using.

>	- Greg
>

- --
Justin T. Gibbs
===========================================
  FreeBSD: Turning PCs into workstations
===========================================


------- End of Forwarded Message