FlashPoint™ LT PCI to SCSI Host Adapter BT-930 Installation Guide and User Manual Part Number 3000863 Rev. D © Copyright 1997 Mylex Corporation. All Rights Reserved. All contents of this manual are copyrighted by Mylex Corporation.
Notice This Manual describes the Mylex FlashPoint™ LT BT-930 PCI to SCSI Host Adapter. Although reasonable efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained herein, this publication could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.
Class B Compliance THIS DEVICE COMPLIES WITH PART 15 OF THE FCC RULES. OPERATION IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TWO CONDITIONS: 1. THIS DEVICE MAY NOT CAUSE HARMFUL INTERFERENCE, AND 2. THIS DEVICE MUST ACCEPT ANY INTERFERENCE RECEIVED, INCLUDING INTERFERENCE THAT MAY CAUSE UNDESIRED OPERATION. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules.
Declaration of Conformity Manufacturer’s Name: Mylex Corporation Manufacturer’s Address: 34551 Ardenwood Blvd.
Community of Europe CE mark is rated for the FlashPoint LT BT-930 PCI to SCSI Host Adapter as follows: CISPR 22 Radiated Emission EN55022, EN5082-1 Generic immunity standard for the following: IEC 801-2 ESD, IEC 801-3 Radiated, and IEC 801-4 EFT/Burst Warning! This is a Class B product. In a residential environment this product may cause radio interference, in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures. Achtung! Dieses ist ein Gerät der Funkstörgrenzwertklasse B.
About This Manual This installation guide covers information necessary to install and configure the Mylex FlashPoint LT PCI to SCSI Host Bus Adapter. Conventions Throughout the manual, the following conventions are used to describe user interaction with the product: bold The user must enter the bold text exactly as shown ↵ Press the Enter key Enter Press the key labeled “Enter” (or “Delete”, etc.
Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Configuration ..................................................................................... 1-2 Features ............................................................................................ 1-2 Hardware Requirements .................................................................... 1-3 Software Requirements ..................................................................... 1-4 Device Driver Needs ..........................................................
Modifying Adapter Configuration ................................................ 3-5 Locating an Adapter ................................................................... 3-8 Resetting Factory Defaults ......................................................... 3-9 SCSI Device Configuration .............................................................. 3-10 Scanning the SCSI Bus ............................................................ 3-15 Viewing SCSI Device Handshake ..................................
Chapter 1 Introduction The Mylex FlashPoint™ LT PCI Host Adapter is a single channel host adapter offering device driver support for major industry standard desktop operating systems. It is based on Mylex-designed ASIC technology. It provides high-performance interconnection between the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus and up to seven Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) peripheral devices.
Configuration Configuration Plug and Play Operation. FlashPoint adapter configuration is handled by the PCI motherboard. Operating parameters can be adjusted using AutoSCSI, a menu-driven utility residing in the adapter’s Read Only Memory (ROM). Features The FlashPoint PCI host adapter has the following features: • Fast data transfer rates The FlashPoint supports standard data transfer rates including Fast SCSI-2 at 10 megabytes per second and Ultra SCSI rates at 20 megabytes per second.
Introduction Hardware Requirements Your PCI computer needs: • One available PCI bus master expansion slot for each FlashPoint being installed • A 3.
Software Requirements Software Requirements You may need the following software: • Software for hard drive setup to perform partitioning and high-level formatting • Operating system software for hard drives being installed • Device drivers Device Driver Needs You may also find the drivers that you need in the Mylex SCSI Host Adapter Software Kit. This kit contains device drivers that support: • Multiple FlashPoint host adapters • Up to seven SCSI peripheral devices (hard drives, etc.
Introduction PC-DOS, MS-DOS and Windows. Your host adapter’s onboard BIOS allows you to attach up to seven SCSI disk drives without additional software under PC or MS-DOS 5.0 and above. Earlier versions of DOS only allow support for up to two hard disk drives. Mylex offers device drivers that support ASPI (Advanced SCSI Program Interface) for configurations where more hard drives are needed than your version of DOS can support. Mylex also offers CDROM drivers for DOS and Windows.
Reference Documents Reference Documents You should have the following documents on hand during installation: • The installation and set-up guide for your computer • The installation guide for your SCSI peripherals (e.g., hard drive, CD-ROM or tape drive) • Operating system installation and user’s guide • FlashPoint Software User’s Guide or third-party device drivers (if applicable) Specifications Dimensions: 5" x 3.2" Electrical: Operating Voltage Operating Current Max. Ripple/Noise 5±0.25V .6A Max.
Chapter 2 Installation This section details hardware installation. See Chapter 3 for information on using AutoSCSI to configure adapter operating parameters. What’s Covered in This Section 1. Unpacking the adapter and preparing for installation 2. Installing your FlashPoint 3. Configuring and cabling internal SCSI devices 4. Configuring and cabling external SCSI devices 5. Powering up the system 6.
Installation Tools Warranty Information If damage to the board has occurred, return it in the protective envelope and original packaging with this manual to your Mylex board supplier. The shipping agent should also be notified if the unit has been damaged during shipment. The Mylex warranty conditions are given in the back of this manual.
Installation SCAM Support The FlashPoint adapter supports SCAM Levels 1 and 2. If your peripheral device supports SCAM, the FlashPoint adapter will determine an available SCSI ID and assign it to the device. SCSI peripheral devices that do not support SCAM (legacy) are shipped with a preassigned SCSI ID number. You can change this ID if necessary. A SCSI ID switch is usually located on the back panel of such devices. It may be in the form of a jumper or a switch whose setting indicates the SCSI ID.
Installing Your FlashPoint work properly. To overcome this problem, the FlashPoint adapters provide an AutoSCSI option to disable onboard termination. Installing Your FlashPoint Step 1: Prepare the host system and the adapter When you are ready to begin, power down the host system. Referring to your host system owner’s manual, remove the covers to open the case to gain access to the motherboard and expansion slots as shown in Figure 2-1.
Installation ☛ Note The FlashPoint adapter can only be installed in a busmaster slot. Refer to your system documentation to determine the correct slot for installation. Step 2: Install the adapter Press the FlashPoint adapter into the selected PCI slot (see Figure 2-2). Align the mounting bracket, and reinstall the mounting screw. Figure 2-2. FlashPoint adapter Installation m Caution Make sure that the board is properly seated in the slot.
Installing Your FlashPoint Figure 2-3. Installing Internal Devices and Cables When installing one internal device, connect it to the end of the cable and terminate the device. Consult the owners manual for information on how to terminate the device. If a second internal device is to be included in the internal installation, terminate only the device at the end of the cable.
Installation Pin 1 Pin 4 +5V Gnd Gnd +5V Figure 2-4. Installing the Optional LED Cable Step 4: Install external devices and cables Figure 2-5. Installing External Devices and Cables External devices are connected using a 50-pin cable with a high-density SCSI-2 connector. Manual No.
Installing Your FlashPoint Connect one end of the SCSI cable to the adapter’s SCSI connector and the other end to the SCSI device as shown in Figure 2-5. Devices are attached in a daisy chain configuration until a maximum is reached. The last device in the daisy chain must be terminated. All intermediate devices should not be terminated or should have termination disabled. Be sure each SCSI device has a unique SCSI ID assigned.
Installation Internal End of SCSI Bus External End of SCSI Bus SCSI Bus Figure 2-6. SCSI Bus Ends • Illegal Configuration (see Figure 2-7) Illegal configuration involves connecting the FlashPoint adapter in the middle of a SCSI ribbon cable. The FlashPoint adapter must be connected at one end of the ribbon cable. Figure 2-7. Illegal Cabling Configuration Manual No.
Installing Your FlashPoint Maximum SCSI BUS Lengths The SCSI bus may not exceed the maximum lengths listed in Table 2-1. The limitations listed in this table are for 8-bit data path SCSI devices. Wide SCSI (16-bit data path) is not supported by the FlashPoint LT host adapter. The total length of the SCSI bus is made up of all the cables that interconnect the FlashPoint to all the devices in the daisy chain configuration including the length of the internal ribbon cable, if it is used (see Figure 2-8).
Installation Step 5: Power up the System Once the adapter is installed, power up the system. As the system powers on, the BIOS performs a self test. Any error conditions that arise from the self test are displayed on the start-up screen. Should you encounter any conditions that you can not resolve, contact Mylex Customer Service at the numbers and/or addresses listed in Appendix B of this manual.
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Chapter 3 Adapter and Device Configuration ☛ Note Host adapter configuration is optional. Under normal operating conditions, you probably won’t need to perform any adapter configuration. However, if you need to adjust the adapter’s configuration, the AutoSCSI utility provides fast and easy configuration capabilities.
Adapter Configuration Figure 3-1. AutoSCSI Adapter Selection ☛ Note When you exit AutoSCSI after making configuration changes, the system prompts you to reset your system. The reboot allows changes to the configuration to become operational. The Legend at the bottom of the screen show you what keys are enabled for the window. Adapter Configuration 1. Highlight the adapter you want to configure.
Adapter and Device Configuration Figure 3-2. Adapter Configuration Options The functions menu appears on the display. You can select from the following options: • View/Modify Configuration option allows you to view or change FlashPoint configuration settings. • Locate Adapter option helps you locate a host adapter in a multiple adapter configuration. Selecting this options causes the LED on the selected adapter to blink.
Adapter Configuration Figure 3-3. View or Modify Device Configuration Window Adapter Configuration Fields The left side of the window contains a list of the adapter characteristics that cannot be modified. These information fields are described in Table 3-1. Table 3-1. Configuration Field Descriptions Option Description Model This field identifies the model of the Mylex host adapter. BIOS Version This field identifies the version of the FlashPoint BIOS.
Adapter and Device Configuration Table 3-1. Configuration Field Descriptions (Continued) Option Description Port Address This field shows the base address of the registers the host uses to communicate with the host adapter. Each board and each channel within the same host system must have a unique I/O port address to prevent hardware conflicts. On PCI adapters, the host system’s BIOS assigns the I/O port address during the boot sequence. PCI Bus # This field shows the PCI bus number.
Adapter Configuration (see Figure 3-4) and press the key to accept the selected value. 3. For example, when you select the Parity Detection parameter, use the to toggle the setting On or Off. Figure 3-4. SCSI ID Selection Popup Menu Table 3-2 lists the configurable fields and possible values for those fields. Values shown in BOLD ITALIC TYPEFACE indicate the default factory setting.
Adapter and Device Configuration Table 3-2. Adapter Configuration Option Descriptions Option Value Description 0-7 Use this option if you need to change the adapter’s SCSI ID on the SCSI bus. This ID should remain unchanged, even where there are multiple SCSI adapters, unless the adapters are attached to a common SCSI bus cable. Boot Hard Disk SCSI ID 0-7 The SCSI ID of the Boot Drive.
Adapter Configuration Table 3-2. Adapter Configuration Option Descriptions (Continued) Parity Detection ON OFF This setting allows you to enable or disable parity checking by the adapter on the SCSI bus. Disable parity checking if it is not supported by the SCSI device. Refer to the device manual for more information. Select ON to enable or OFF to disable parity checking. Press to toggle between selections.
Adapter and Device Configuration Figure 3-5. Locating the Adapter NO 2. When you have found the adapter, press any key to return to the Adapter Configuration menu. Resetting Factory Defaults You can reset the adapter parameters to the factory default settings. 1. Highlight Load Factory Default and press . For a list of the settings see Table 3-3. Default values are shown in BOLD ITALIC TYPEFACE. Figure 3-6. Load Factory Default 2. Respond to the warning message shown in Figure 3-7.
SCSI Device Configuration Figure 3-7. Factory Defaults Warning Message SCSI Device Configuration To perform device configuration, do the following: 1. Start AutoSCSI, choose an adapter and press . Figure 3-8. SCSI Device Configuration 2. Use the arrow keys to highlight SCSI Device Configuration and press . The Device Window opens on the display (see Figure 3-9).
Adapter and Device Configuration • Scan SCSI Bus causes AutoSCSI to perform a SCSI inquiry scan of the bus. When the scan completes, the device configuration window displays the name of the device found at each SCSI ID. • View SCSI Device Handshake displays the host adapter’s handshake protocol to each device on the bus. The protocol can be changed in the SCSI device View/Modify Configuration window. Figure 3-9. SCSI Device Window The initial device window shows all the devices as unscanned.
SCSI Device Configuration Figure 3-10. Unscanned Devices Display 3. Press to return to the device list. 4. To view a table of switch settings for an unscanned device ID, use the arrow keys to highlight an unscanned device ID and press . A list of switch settings for the selected device ID is displayed (see Figure 3-11).
Adapter and Device Configuration Wide Negotiation: - Figure 3-11. Switch Settings Window See Table 3-3 for a list of the switch settings and their values. Default values are shown in BOLD ITALIC TYPEFACE. Table 3-3. SCSI Device Configuration Parameter Settings Option Value Description SCSI ID 0-7 Use this option if you need to change a SCAM device’s SCSI ID on the SCSI bus. The FlashPoint host adapter’s ID is set to 7 by default.
SCSI Device Configuration Table 3-3. SCSI Device Configuration Parameter Settings (Continued) Option Value Description Disconnection ON OFF Use this option to enable or disable SCSI disconnection for each target device. This option allows a SCSI device to disconnect itself when it is not ready for data transfer. When multiple devices are connected to the same SCSI bus, SCSI disconnection allows SCSI devices to perform seek operations in parallel and improves overall SCSI bus performance.
Adapter and Device Configuration To change the configuration parameters, do the following: 1. Use the arrow keys to highlight a configuration parameter and press the . Configuration parameters with multiple value choices display a selection dialog box. Configuration parameters with ON/OFF vales toggle. 2. For example, use the arrow keys to highlight Negotiated Rate and press the to display the selection dialog box.
SCSI Device Configuration Figure 3-13. Scanned Bus Display Viewing SCSI Device Handshake To view the SCSI device handshake settings, do the following: 1. Use the arrow keys to highlight View SCSI Device Handshake and press . 2. The SCSI Device Handshake window opens (see Figure 3-14). The transfer rate initially requested for the device and the actual transfer rate of the scanned device are listed in this window. Notice that the requested and the actual transfer rates may be different.
Adapter and Device Configuration Figure 3-14. SCSI Device Handshake Window 3. Press to exit the window and return to the SCSI Device window. Modifying Device Configuration To make adjustments to the device configuration, do the following: 1. Use the arrow keys to highlight the device you wish to modify and press the . The Device Configuration menu appear as shown in Figure 3-15. Manual No.
SCSI Device Configuration Figure 3-15. Device Configuration Menu 2. Highlight View/Modify Configuration and press . The View/ Modify Device Configuration window appears (see Figure 3-16). Wide Negotiation: - Figure 3-16.
Adapter and Device Configuration The left side of the screen shows the static characteristics of the selected device. These characteristics can not be modified. See Table 3-4 for a brief description of these parameters. Refer to the owner’s manual of your device for further information about the contents of this display. Table 3-4. SCSI Device Static Parameters Parameters Description Vendor ID The name of the device manufacturer. Product ID The device’s model name.
SCSI Device Configuration desired entry and press the . A popup menu appears listing the selectable values. Use the arrow keys to highlight the desired value and press to accept the highlighted value. 3. When you have completed changing the parameters, press to return to the SCSI Device window. 4. When you have completed viewing and modifying device configuration, press to return to the Device Configuration menu.
Adapter and Device Configuration 2. Select Continue to perform the device verification operation. Select Cancel to cancel the operation and return to the Device Configuration menu. Performing a Low-Level Format of a Device You can perform a low-level format of a device using the Format option from the Device Configuration Menu. 1. Highlight Format and press . The format confirmation dialog box appears (Figure 3-19). Figure 3-19. Device Formatting Confirmation 2.
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Chapter 4 Troubleshooting Troubleshooting Guidelines If you experience a problem with adapter operation when all the installation steps are completed, refer to the following guidelines. Check the Installation Procedures • Be sure all connectors are firmly seated. • Check the orientation of the SCSI cable. Be sure that Pin 1 on the cable matches Pin 1 on the adapter/SCSI device connector. • Check that the adapter and attached devices have unique SCSI IDs.
Troubleshooting Guidelines For example, you have installed the ASPI DOS driver in the CONFIG.SYS file and are attempting to boot from a SCSI disk drive. The system begins the boot sequence, the banner is displayed, attached SCSI devices are recognized and posted on the display. A message is then displayed indicating that the SCSI DOS driver is being installed, however, the system appears to suspend operation with no further boot activity.
Troubleshooting information is displayed without error, then the adapter is properly communicating with the SCSI devices. Figure 4-1. Device Scanning Dialog Box If an attached SCSI device is not recognized, verify that each device has a unique SCSI ID. The host adapter is set to SCSI ID 7 by default. Disable Fast Transfer Rate. Some SCSI devices may not be capable of negotiating a data transfer rate of 20/10 MBytes/sec.
Troubleshooting Startup NO BIOS BANNER IS DISPLAYED The system does not find the adapter. Make sure the adapter is properly installed in a busmaster slot. SCANNING BUS...CARD XXX, SLOT X, BUS:XXX PORT XXXXX If the system hangs with this message, the bus scanning operation did not complete successfully. Check the following: • Verify all the cables and connectors are firmly seated and properly installed. • Verify there are no reversed cable connections.
Troubleshooting unique SCSI ID. • The SCSI bus may be improperly terminated. Verify that the bus is terminated properly. BIOS INITIALIZATION SUCCESSFUL SCSI 0, XXXXX SCSI 1, XXXXX If the system hangs with this message on the display, there may be a SCSI bus termination problem. • Verify that the SCSI bus is terminated properly. ENTERING CARD DIAGS/INIT CARD=OO DIAGS ERROR IN DIAGNOSTIC TESTING.
Troubleshooting Startup 4-6 FlashPoint™ LT BT-930 User’s Manual
Questions & Answers Q. Why does the “NO ROM BASIC” message appear when booting up? A. The DOS partition may not be activated, run the MS DOS FDISK utility and set the partition active. Refer to your MS DOS reference manual for specific instructions on activating a DOS partition using the FDISK command. Q. Why is the message “Missing Operating System” displayed during boot, but the hard drive is still seen by the controller? A. Check for the active partition.
Q. How can I use a CDROM drive with Mylex controller card in MS-DOS? A. In DOS, make sure the SCSI ID for the CD-ROM is higher than the disk SCSI ID. Connect the CD-ROM in the SCSI chain so that it is properly terminated. Then add these two lines to your CONFIG.SYS. device=c:\path\flashpt.sys /d device=c:\path\btcd-rom.sys /d:mscd001 Add this line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT: c:\dos\mscdex.exe /d:mscd001 Q. When I load the FLASHPT.SYS driver in the DOS CONFIG.SYS, the system hangs. A. Do followings: 1.
Q. I am connecting a removable drive to the Mylex adapter in DOS. What device drivers do I need to load? A. In DOS, you need to load DOS Manager drivers in CONFIG.SYS as follows: device=c:\path\flashpt.sys /d device=c:\path\btmdisk.sys After that run BTFDISK program to create the partition on the drive connected to second card and use the DOS FORMAT command to format the drive. Q. I am connecting a SCSI tape drive to the Mylex adapter. What device driver do I need to load? A.
Q. Why does my system lock up on bootup after connecting to an external SCSI device? A. Double check for proper SCSI bus termination and check connections and cabling. Q. I added a new SCSI device to one of the Model C SCSI host adapters. Either it is not seen or the system hangs when the host adapter BIOS tries to scan it. Do I have the proper SCSI bus termination? A. This problem occurs mainly because the new device is not SCSI II FAST.
Appendix A Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) This appendix describes the Small Computer System Interface terms. It is provided to help you understand the concepts related to SCSI. What is a host adapter? A SCSI host adapter is a printed circuit card that provides a SCSI bus interface to the SCSI devices installed in a computer system. The FlashPoint host adapter has both internal and external SCSI connectors supporting both internal and external SCSI peripheral devices.
What is the SCSI bus? • SCSI-3 adds more features including Ultra SCSI, SCAM, optional Pcable, the Wide SCSI bus specification that defines an extended number of devices, support for fiber channel hardware, and a serial channel interface. It also allows transfer rates of 20 megabytes per second. What is the SCSI bus? A SCSI bus is one or more SCSI peripheral devices and a host adapter connected together by cables in a daisy chain configuration.
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) What is a Daisy Chain Configuration? A daisy chain is where the bus is created by attaching the first device in the chain to the second device and the second device to the third device and so on until all the devices are chained together. What is a SCSI ID? A SCSI ID is a unique identifying number ranging from 0 to 7. (0-15 for Wide SCSI) This number is assigned to a SCSI device on the SCSI bus.
What are SCSI Cables and Connectors? Internal devices may be terminated using cable terminators, however it is more likely that an internal device will use some sort of other method of termination like a resistor pack or a jumper. When determining how to terminate a device, examine the device and check on the manufacturers suggested termination method as described in the product documentation. The last device in the chain must be terminated.
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) Each device needs to be examined to determine what type of connector is required. SCSI cables come in a variety of connector combinations so that the SCSI bus may be made up of a combination of device types with cable adapting for the differences between devices. Manual No.
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Appendix B Mylex Customer Support Mylex provides a number of services for customer convenience. These services include the following: • You can reach Mylex’s Technical Support at 510-608-2400, Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Before you call, please complete the Product Support Record on the back of this page. • Mylex’s Technical Support Bulletin Board System (BBS) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Product Support Record Product Support Record The information on this page should be compiled and provided to your supplier in writing to obtain technical support assistance. This will enable your supplier to respond more rapidly and more appropriately to your problem.
Mylex Warranty - Customer Policy Thank you for purchasing this Mylex product for your computer system. In addition to this high-quality product, your purchase entitles you to the warranty coverage set forth herein. In order to provide this warranty coverage, and to indicate your acceptance of this warranty, we must have the attached Warranty Registration Card completed and returned to us within 15 days of your purchase.
Returned Merchandise Procedures If you suspect that there is a defect in the material or workmanship of this PRODUCT, you should contact the person or company from which you purchased it. That person or company may be able to solve the problem and if not, will be able to contact us for technical assistance or repair. If it is determined that the PRODUCT must be returned to MYLEX for repair or replacement, contact MYLEX’s Technical Support Department at 510-608-2400 before it is returned.
