Adaptec AHA-1540C User manual

AHA-1540C/1542C
High-Performance Bus Master
ISA to SCSI Host Adapter
User's Manual

AHA-1540C/1542C
High-Performance Bus Master
ISA to SCSI Host Adapter
User's Manual

Copyright
© Copyright 1992Adaptec, Inc. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means; electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the
prior written consent of Adaptec, Inc., 691 South Milpitas Blvd., Milpitas, CA95035.
Trademarks
All product names mentionedbelow and in this manual are trademarks or regis-
tered trademarks of their respectiveowners.
ASPI is a trademark of Adaptec, Incorporated.
Banyan and Vmes are registered trademarks of Banyan Systems Incorporated.
Bus Master is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
EISA is a registered trademark of BCPR Services, Inc.
ESIX is a registered trademark of Eve rexSystems, Inc.
IBM, OS/2, PC, AT,
and Micro Channel are registered trademarks ofInternational
Business Machines Corporation.
Iomega and Bernoulli are registered trademarks oflomega Corporation.
MS-DOS, MS, Wmdows, Xenix, and Microsoft are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
Novell
and NetWare are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.
QEMM is a trademark of QuarterdeckOffice Systems.
SCO, and seaUNIX are registered trademarks of the Santa Cruz Operation.
Sunsoft,and SunsoftInteractive UNIX are registered trademarks of Sunsoft, Inc.
Syquest is a registered trademark of SyquestTechnologies.
UNIXis a registered
trademark and USLisa trademark of UnixSystemsLaboratories.
Changes
The material in this manual is for informationonly and is subject to change without
notice. While reasonableefforts have been made in the preparation of this manual to
assure its accuracy, Adaptec, Inc. assumes no liabilityresultingfrom errors or omis-
sions
in this manual, or from the use of the infonnationcontainedherein.
Adaptecreserves
the right to make changBS in the productdesign without reserva-
tion
and withoutnotification to its users.
ii

FCC ComplianceStatement
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found tooomply with the limitsfor a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are
designed to providereasonable protection against harmful interference in residential
installations.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy,
and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
hannful interference toradio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interferencewill not occur in a particular installation.
If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television equipment reception,
which
can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is enoour-
aged to try tocorrect the interferencebyone or more of the following measures:
II Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
• Move the equipment away from the receiver
0\11 Plug the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is powered
'" If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/television technician for additional suggestions
CAUTION: Only equipment certified tooomply with Class B (computer input/output
devices, terminals, printers, etc.) should be attached to this equipment, and must
have shielded interfaci cables.
Finally,
any change or modifications to the equipment by the user not expressly
approved
by the grantee or manufacturer could void the user's authority to operate
such equipment.
Each AHA-154OC/1542C is equipped with an FCC oompliancelabel which shows
only
the FCC Identification number. The full text of the associatedlabel follows:
FCC ill: FGT 1542C
This device oomplies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subjectto the follow-
ing twooonditions: (1) this device may not cause hannful interference and (2) this
device must accept any interferencereceived, includinginterference that may cause
undesired operation.
iii

Table of Contents
Preface
Inside This Manual. ................................. xi
Conventions
....................................... xiii
o
Introduction
About This Chapter ................................ 1-1
The AHA-1540C/1542C Host Adapter .................. 1-3
SCSI Features ..................................... 1-3
High-performance
.............................. 1-3
High Capacity Drive Support ..................... 1-4
Disk Device Support ............................. 1-4
Multiple
Peripheral and Applications Support ....... 1-5
Easy Installation ................................... 1-6
Easy Configuration ............................. 1-6
Unpacking and Inspection ........................... 1-7
Kit Contents ................................... 1-7
Electrostatic Discharge .......................... 1-7
Adaptec Technical
Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Getting Started
About This Chapter ................................ 2-1
Installation Basics ................................. 2-3
AHA-1540C/1542C Board Installation ................. 2-4
SCSI Bus Preparation .............................. 2-5
SCSI ID ....................................... 2-5
Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Host Adapter Port Address ....................... 2-7
Controlling Floppy Drives
........................ 2-7
Installing Peripherals ............................... 2-8
Internally Mounted SCSI Peripherals .............. 2-8
External SCSI Peripherals ....................... 2-8
Re-assembly
and Startup ............................ 2-9
Adaptec EZ-SCSI DOStWindows Drivers ............... 2-9
When to Install Adaptec EZ-SCSI. ................ 2-10
Adaptec EZ-SCSI Quick Installation .............. 2-10
v

AHA-1540C/1542C User's Manual
EJ
Stepping Through Installation
About This Chapter ................................ 3-1
Introduction ...................................... 3-3
The Host Adapter and the SCSI Bus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
G-etting Ready. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Preparing YourSCSI Devices ........................ 3-5
SCSI IDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Synchronous
Transfer Negotiation
and Parity Checking .......................... 3-6
SCSI Bus Termination ........................... 3-7
Device
Prep Check List ......................... 3-10
Installation ...................................... 3-11
Installing the Host Adapter Board ................ 3-11
Installing Internal Devices ...................... 3-13
Connecting
External Devices ..................... 3-14
Pre-Boot Check List ............................ 3-15
System Startup ................................... 3-16
New SCSI Drives/No Existing Boot Drive .......... 3-16
New SCSI Drives/Existing Boot Drive ............. 3-16
Drive
Preparation ................................. 3-17
Low-Level
Format ............................. 3-17
Partitioning .................................. 3-18
High-Level (DOS)
Format ....................... 3-18
Using Drives ..................................... 3-19
Installing Multiple Host Adapters .................... 3-20
Using the Configuration Software
About This Chapter ................................ 4-1
Configuring
the Host Adapter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
When to Use the Configuration Software ............ 4-3
Compatibility
with Earlier AHA-1540/1542
Host Adapters ................................ 4-4
Running the ConfigurationSoftware .................. 4-4
Starting from the Sign-on Banner .................. 4-4
Starting from DOS Debug ........................ 4-5
Selection Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5
Host Adapter Selection .............................. 4-6
vi

Table of Contents
Main Menu Options ................................ 4-7
ConfigureNiew Host Adapter Settings ................. 4-8
IRQ, DMA,
and SCSI ID ......................... 4-9
SCSI
Parity Checking .......................... 4-10
DMA Transfer Rate ............................ 4-10
Host Adapter SCSI Termination .................. 4-11
SCSI Device Configuration
and Advanced Configuration. 4-12
SCSI Device Configuration
...................... 4-13
Advanced Configuration Options
................. 4-16
SCSI
Disk Utilities ................................ 4-23
Format Disk .................................. 4-24
Verify Disk Media
............................. 4-25
Host Adapter Diagnostics ........................... 4-25
Error Handling ................................ 4-26
I/O Operating Environment Software
About This Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1
Host Adapter Support ............................... 5-3
DOS/Windows
.................................. 5-3
Novell NetWare
................................ 5-4
OS/2 .......................................... 5-5
UNIX/XENIX
.................................. 5-5
APPENDICES
Specifications
About This Appendix .............................. A-1
Technical Information
..... " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. A-3
Switch Block Settings .............................. A-4
Troubleshooting
About This Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. B-1
SCSI Troubleshooting Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.. B-3
Cases and Solutions ............................... B-4
Conflicts
With Other Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. B-7
BIOS Messages ................................... B-7
vii

AHA-1540C/1542C User's Manual
Optimizing Performance
About This Appendix ............................. , C-l
Performance Tips ................................. C-3
Enabling Synchronous Negotiation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. C-3
Disabling the Host Adapter BIOS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. C-3
Enabling Parity Checking ...................... , C-4
Setting the DMA Transfer Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. C-4
Setting Enable Disconnect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. C-5
Send Start Unit Command ...................... C-5
Glossary
Index
viii
About this Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Glossary-l
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Glossary-3
............................................. Index-l

Table of Contents
List of Figures
Figure 2-1. AHA-1540C/1542C ....................... 2-4
Figure 3-1. The SCSI Bus ............................ 3-4
Figure 3-2. Internal and External Devices .............. 3-8
Figure 3-3. Internal Devices .......................... 3-9
Figure 3-4. External Devices ......................... 3-9
Figure 3-5. Alternate Adapter Brackets ............... 3-12
Figure 4-1. Adapter BIOS Sign-on Banner .............. 4-5
Figure 4-2. Host Adapter Port Address ................. 4-6
Figure 4-3. Main Menu .............................. 4-7
Figure 4-4. ConfigureNiew Host Adapter Settings ....... 4-8
Figure 4-5. Accessing SCSI Device Configuration ....... 4-12
Figure 4-6. SCSI Device Configuration ................ 4-13
Figure 4-7. Advanced Configuration Options ........... 4-16
Figure 4-8. Accessing SCSI Disk Utilities .............. 4-23
Figure 4-9. SCSI Disk Utilities Device Selection ........ 4-23
Figure 4-10. Utility Selection ........................ 4-24
Figure 4-11. Accessing Host Adapter Diagnostics ....... 4-25
Figure 4-12. Diagnostics Startup ..................... 4-26
List of Tables
Table 2-1. When to Enable Host Adapter Termination .... 2-6
Table A-1. Host Adapter Switch Block Settings ......... A-4
ix

Preface
Inside This Manual
This manual provides complete instructions on how to install and
use the Adaptec AHA-1540C and AHA-1542C ISA-to-SCSI
Advanced Host Adapters.
Chapter One, Introduction, provides general information about
the Adaptec AHA-1540C/1542C and its features and capabilities.
It also tells you how to contactAdaptec Technical Support.
Chapter Two, Getting Started, has the information experienced
users need to quickly install and configure a host adapter. The
chapter includes cross-references to more detailed information in
other chapters.
Chapter Three, Stepping Through Installation, provides in-
depth, step-by-step instructions on physically installing the adapt-
er in your computer, and connecting it to various combinations of
SCSI peripherals. The chapter also includes a detailed description
of SCSI termination.
Chapter Four, Using the Configuration Software, explains how
to run the built-in Configuration Software and use its features to
view the host adapter settings and change them as needed. The
chapter also describes the built-inSCSI disk utilities and the host
adapter diagnostics.
Chapter Five, I/O Operating Environment Software, tells you
how to determine whether you need to install additional software
on your system in order to use all the features of the AHA-
1540C/1542C.
Appendix A, Specifications, lists technical specifications and
switch block setting information that may be of use to the
advanced user or technician.
Appendix B, Troubleshooting, has information to assist you in
troubleshooting problems that may occur during installation and
configuration.
xi

AHA-154OC/1542C User's Manual
xii
Appendix C, OptimizingPelj01mance, has various tips on maxi-
mizing the performance of your host adapter.
The Glossary has definitions of special terms used in this manual
and in SCSI literature in general.

Preface
Conventions
The following typographic conventions are used throughout this
User's Guide.
bold
Used for keystrokes Coo press the Enter key .. ) and screen selec-
tion fields Coo select Backup Device and oo).
Helvetica
Used for operator entry that must be typed exactly as shown
C •• device=c:\adaptec\aspidos.sys .. ) and for screen messages C..En-
ter Password .. ).
Helvetica Italics
Used as a place holder for text you must determine and type in
(oo enter nn for number oo). Also used for program and file names
in body text Coo the autoexec.batfile oo).
Italics
Used for emphasis Coo is only supported oo) and document reference
Coo refer to Chapter 2, Setting Up oo).
ALL CAPITALS
Used for acronyms, such as SCSI and CD-ROM.
Hexadecimal Numbers
Are followed by an 'h', e.g., 330h.
N
umbered Step Marker
The )-- symbol marks the first in a series of numbered steps.
End Mark
The 0 symbol marks the end of the text for each chapter.
)(iii

II
Introduction
About This Chapter
Read this chapter to find out:
• The features of your newAHA-1540C/1542C ISA to SCSI
host adapter
@ How to get help from Adaptec Technical Support
1-1

The AHA-1540C/1542C Host Adapter
The AHA-1540C/1542C host adapter enables you to connect your
computer to practically any oftoday's SCSI devices.
Your computing platform will be opened up to the wide
range of multimedia SCSI peripherals, such as high per-
formance
hard disk drives, CD-ROM, DAT, and
rewritable optical drives, and scanners.
Extensive compatibility testing ensures that your host
adapter will work well with your computer and all your
SCSI peripherals.
In this manual, and in other Adaptec documents, the AHA-1540C
and AHA-1542C ISA to SCSI advanced host adapters are referred
to jointly as the AHA-1540C/1542C host adapter. This User's
Manual tells you how to install the AHA-1540C and AHA-1542C
ISA-to-SCSI
host adapters. Installation procedures are the same
for both adapters, except for the AHA-1542C on-board floppy con-
troller. (The AHA-1542C includes a
standard ISA floppy diskette
controller, and the AHA-1540C does not.)
SCSI Features
High-performance
The Adaptec AHA-1540C/1542C uses Bus Master® technology.
Bus master Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows your host adapt-
er to independently manage data transfer between your SCSI
peripherals and the computer system memory, without requiring
the involvement of your CPU.
The host adapter uses DMA bus mastering to transfer data to and
from SCSI devices at the maximum possible rate. A dedicated on-
board processor and optimized firmware efficiently offload I/O
1-3

AHA-1540C/1542C User's Manual
tasks from the host CPU so that the CPU bandwidth can be dedi-
cated to other system functions.
High Capacity Drive Support
The AHA-1540C/1542C supports both fixed and removable media
devices with capacities above 1 Gigabyte (GByte). DOS drives
with capacities to 8 GBytes are supported by the Extended BIOS
Translation feature, which is accessible through the Configura-
tion Software when you start your system.
Operating systems such as Novell® NetWare®, OS/2® and
UNIX® support greater than 1024 cylinders and support drives of
far greater capacity, without requiring the Extended BIOS Trans-
lation feature.
.. All of the Configuration Software options are explained in
Chapter Four, Using the Configuration Software.
Disk Device Support
1-4
The DOS operating system and the AT BIOS support two fixed
disk drives, drive C and drive D. (DOS 5.0 and above supports up
to eight drives, seven per host adapter.)
@ If two non-SCSI fixed disk drives are installed, they
are the first two fixed disk drives accessible from the oper-
ating system.
• If one non-SCSI fixed disk drive is installed, the AHA-
1540C/1542C
BIOS allows DOS to access the SCSI drives
as drive D and E, etc.
• If only SCSI fixed disk drives are installed, AHA-
1540C/1542C BIOS allows DOS to access the first SCSI
drive as drive C, the next as drive D, etc.
The most common non-SCSI drives are IDE and ESDI type
drives. Throughout this manual, references to IDE drives also
apply to ESDI drives.

Introduction
IDE and ESDI drives are controlled by IDE and ESDI® control-
lers. IDI and ESDI drives can be set to the installed or not
installed state by the Setup or Configuration program supplied
with each ISA and EISA host computer. Your computer's setup
program lets you select the number of non-SCSI fixed disks that
are recognized by the system, regardless of whether or not they
are physically installed.
System booting is performed from the floppy drive if a floppy disk-
ette is in the drive. If no floppy diskette is present, the system
attempts to boot from the drive chosen as drive C through the pro-
cess described above, whether the drive is a standard fixed disk or
a SCSI fixed disk.
The AHA-1540C/1542C BIOS fully supports the extended parti-
tioning capabilities of DOS 3.3 for up to two drives and of DOS
5.0 and above for up to seven drives per host adapter, eight total.
Peripheral devices such as SCSI tape, DAT, CD-ROM and others
require device driver software to be installed. Adaptec supplies a
range of products based on the Advanced SCSI Programming
Interface (ASPI™) architecture. For information on third-party
support for the AHA-1540C/1542C, contact Adaptec using the tele-
phone 800 number listed at the end of this chapter.
Multiple Peripheral and Applications Support
The AHA-1540C/1542C supports multiple SCSI peripherals in
various operating system environments. MS-DOS® and CPU-
intensive computer environments, such as Windows®, OS/2,
UNIX,
or Novell NetWare are all supported by the AHA-
1540C/1542C.
Note
The AHA-1540C/1542C supports only Single-Ended SCSI
devices. Differential SCSI devices may be damaged if connected
to the AHA-1540C/1542C bus. Most currently produced SCSI
peripherals use single-ended grounding on the SCSI bus, so
this will probably not be a problem. You should, however, con-
sult your SCSI peripheral user documentation to make sure.
1-5