[Tfug] SCSI disks

Bexley Hall bexley401 at yahoo.com
Thu Aug 16 16:46:46 MST 2007


I'm trying to set up a SPARC LX for some core
"services", here.  It will run 24/7/365 and
replace my SS5 (which is currently doing the 
same job but at a larger space and power
consumption footprint!).

The SS5 uses SCA drives so it was easy to throw
18G in the machine -- not necessary for the
role as service provider but useful as it lets 
me keep system sources on-line for easy kernel 
rebuilds, etc.

However, the LX uses "50 pin (SE) SCSI".  I've
never seen a 50 pin drive larger than 4G (but
I suspect they exist -- or existED!).  In any
case, I don't *have* such a device.

*But*, I can probably find a *wide* SCSI drive
(non-SCA) of a larger size.

I *should* be able to wire the wide drive to
the narrow connector in the LX -- since the
high data bits are unavailable to the host,
the drive will never be able to negotiate
a wide transfer, etc.

I *think* I shouldn't have to terminate the
high data bits on the drive since there is
no line driving them.  And, since they don't 
exist on the *host*, there is no need to 
terminate the high byte there, either!  :>

But, is this as "simple" as getting a cable
with a 50 pin berg connector on one end and
a 68 pin wide scsi connector on the other?

I have just such a beast *but* I think it was 
intended to go from a wide *host* to a narrow
*target* (i.e., there is a terminator on the
50-pin end of the cable) -- not exactly what
I was looking for.

Can I cut off the terminator (on the cable)
and, *if* the drive supports it, enable
termination on the drive?  Or, will I need
to come up with an alternate cable and/or
a "feed-thru" wide terminator?

Grrrr.... "Standards are great; everybody should
have one!"  :(


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