Subject: Re: DEC HD's - a question.
To: port-pmax@netbsd.org <port-pmax@netbsd.org>
From: None <mjbedy@mtu.edu>
List: port-pmax
Date: 02/14/1999 00:37:03
  I think you're right, I just spent some quality time with Dejanews,
and that seems to be correct. Does anyone know the answer to the parity
question?

  I think I can safely order the adapter, since the impression I get is
that most older drive (like the RZ55 I have) don't require parity. If
all else fails, I found out that the RZ24 I have will work either way,
so I can use it if necessary.

  Thanks,
     - Mike

P.S. ACSI = Atari Computer Serial Interface. As I understand it, SCSI
was not yet a standard when the ST was designed, but ACSI was designed
to be similar to it. Therefore, it only takes a bit of logic to do a
ACSI-SCSI converter. 

  <RANT>So in other words, in 1985 my parents $2500 286 poked along with
MFM drives, while their $400 520ST (had we gotten a hard drive for it)
would have roasted along at some obsene-for-1985 speed :-) Ah well, the
fact that Atari and Amiga are both dead and Apple is seriously wounded
proves life ain't fair - all three were significantly better than the
PC's of the day. (Macs still are..)</RANT>

Allen Briggs wrote:
> 
> > > I'd guess that "SCSI Initiator" is the same as "SCSI Spin-up Command."
> 
> I'd guess not.  The SCSI spin-up command is a command to tell the disk
> to start spinning.  "Initiator" is probably referring to the disk drive
> trying to act independently on the SCSI bus.  In SCSI terms, there are
> targets and initiators.  Usually, the host adapter (or on-board SCSI)
> act as the initiator and drives, scanners, etc. act as targets.  There
> is nothing in the specification that prevents a device from acting as
> either or both on the same bus.  I suspect that "SCSI initiator" refers
> to a drive that might want to drive a SCSI transaction on its own.  I
> suspect that those are rare.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't know anything about this device or ACSI devices...
> 
> -allen
> 
> --
>                     Allen Briggs - briggs@ninthwonder.com
>        Try free *nix: http://www.netbsd.org/, http://www.freebsd.org/,
>                       http://www.linux.org/, http://www.openbsd.org/