Adaptec APA-1480 SlimSCSI User manual

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SER
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LIM
SCSI 1480 A
DAPTER

© 1997 Adaptec, Inc.
All rights reserved. Adaptec, and the
Adaptec logo are trademarks of Adaptec,
Inc. which may be registered in some
jurisdictions.
Printed in Singapore
STOCK NO.: 511537-00, Rev. A KL 8/97

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▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ SlimSCSI 1480 Adapter
User’s Guide

iii
▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ Contents
Introduction 1
Contents of Kit 1
System Requirements 1
Installing the SlimSCSI 1480 2
Installing the SlimSCSI Windows 95 Driver 5
Using the SlimSCSI Adapter 6
Hot Plugging 6
Controlling the SCAM and Ultra Features 7
Understanding SCSI 10
SCSI IDs 10
SCAM Protocol 10
Terminating the SCSI Bus 11
Obtaining SCSI Cables 11
Connector Types 12
Troubleshooting 13
General Hardware Troubleshooting 13
General Software Troubleshooting 14
Windows 95 Troubleshooting 14
Contacting Adaptec 19
Electronic Support 19
Technical and Product Support 19
Sales and Ordering Information 20

1
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of Adaptec’s SlimSCSI 1480. The
SlimSCSI 1480 delivers full 32-bit PCI performance at speeds up to
20 MBytes/sec., allowing your high-performance SCSI devices to
operate at their maximum speed. Enjoy the same versatility and per-
formance as a desktop PC, plus the convenience of instant plug-in
connections and hot swapping.
Contents of Kit
■SlimSCSI 1480 CardBus-to-UltraSCSI Adapter
■SlimSCSI 1480 setup diskette
■SlimSCSI 1480 Adapter User’s Guide
■50-pin high-density cable
■50-pin low-density cable
■Adaptec EZ-SCSI software and Quick Reference Guide
■Mail-in card for free DB25 cable
■Registration card
System Requirements
■Portable PC with CardBus-enabled PC Card slot
■Windows®95, version 4.00 950B or later

2
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
Note:
The CardBus specification differs from the standard
PC Card (PCMCIA) specification. As a result, CardBus
adapters like the SlimSCSI 1480 will not operate in, and can-
not be inserted in, a standard PC Card slot.
Installing the SlimSCSI 1480
Follow these steps to install the SlimSCSI 1480 and connect your
SCSI devices to it:
1
Remove the SlimSCSI 1480 from its packaging.
2
Determine which of the two 50-pin cables you will use to con-
nect the SlimSCSI 1480 to your first (or only) SCSI device. To
do this, see which cable connector (high-density or low-den-
sity) fits the SCSI connector on the back of the device.
Note:
If your SCSI device has a DB25 (25-pin) connec-
tor, you can order a free DB25 cable from Adaptec by
sending in the card included in this User’s Guide.
3
Connect the SlimSCSI cable to the SlimSCSI 1480, as shown
below:
CardBus Slots
SlimSCSI 1480
SlimSCSI Connector

3
Installing the SlimSCSI 1480
4
Plug the other end of the cable into the first (or only) SCSI
device, as shown below. Make sure the SCSI device is not
powered.
5
(Optional) Connect up to two additional UltraSCSI devices by
daisy-chaining them to the first device, as shown below:
6
Be sure that each SCSI device has a unique SCSI ID ranging
from 0 to 6. If any two devices have the same ID, change the
SCSI ID of one device. This is usually done by changing a
switch on the back of the device. (For more information, see
SCSI IDs on page 10.)
SCSI Connector SCSI Device
Terminator
SCSI Devices
Terminator

4
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
The diagram below shows a typical SCSI device with a select-
able SCSI ID switch:
7
Terminate the last (or only) SCSI device connected to the
SlimSCSI 1480. Read the device documentation if you are not
sure how to terminate the device, or refer to Terminating the
SCSI Bus on page 11.
8
Be sure that at least one external SCSI device provides SCSI
bus termination power or that the last device on the bus sup-
plies termination power to itself. Read the device documenta-
tion if you are not sure whether the SCSI device provides
termination power.
9
Connect all power cables to the SCSI devices. Then power up
all the devices.
10
Insert the SlimSCSI 1480 into one of your portable PC’s Card-
Bus slots.
11
Power up your portable PC.
Next, you must install the SlimSCSI Windows 95 driver.

5
Installing the SlimSCSI Windows 95 Driver
Installing the SlimSCSI
Windows 95 Driver
1
If Windows 95 is not already running, start it now.
2
If the SlimSCSI 1480 is not already inserted in the CardBus slot,
insert it now. Then wait until Windows 95 finishes building the
database information for the adapter. The Windows 95 Update
Device Driver Wizard starts automatically.
3
When you are prompted by the Update Device Driver wizard,
insert the SlimSCSI 1480 Setup Diskette for Windows 95 in the
floppy disk drive. Click the Next button.
Note:
Refer to the Windows 95 Device Driver Wizard
Help if you have questions about installing the driver.
4
If you see Adaptec APA-1480 CardBus SCSI Controller in the
dialog box, click the Finish button.
If you see a message prompting you to insert the disk that is
already in the floppy drive, click OK. Then type a: as the
source from which to copy files and click OK again.
5
Wait until the PC Card (PCMCIA) icon appears on the
Windows taskbar in the lower right corner of the screen. This
indicates that the driver is successfully installed!
If the PC Card icon does not appear on the taskbar, click the
Start button and select Settings and Control Panel. In the Con-
trol Panel, double-click the PC Card (PCMCIA) icon. In the
Properties dialog box, select Show control on taskbar if it is
not already selected and click OK. The PC Card icon should
then appear on the taskbar.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed the SlimSCSI 1480!

6
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
Using the SlimSCSI Adapter
Hot Plugging
After you install the APA-1480 driver for the SlimSCSI 1480, you can
insert or remove the SlimSCSI 1480 at any time except when data is
being transferred on the SCSI bus. This is called hot plugging. (You
can tell that data is being transferred if the SCSI device activity light
is on.) Follow these steps to remove the SlimSCSI 1480 while
Windows 95 is running
1
Click on the small PC Card (PCMCIA) icon in the lower right
corner of the screen. You will see a dialog box similar to the
following:
2
Select Adaptec APA-1480 CardBus UltraSCSI Adapter.
3
Click the Stop button.
4
When you see the message You may safely remove this device,
remove the SlimSCSI 1480 from the slot.

7
Using the SlimSCSI Adapter
Caution:
Your PC may hang if you remove the adapter
before the message appears.
When you insert the SlimSCSI 1480 adapter while Windows 95 is
running, Windows 95 detects the adapter and the device(s) con-
nected to it. (Be sure the devices are powered before you insert the
adapter!)
Controlling the SCAM and Ultra Features
■SCAM stands for SCSI Configured AutoMatically, a feature
that lets the PC automatically assign SCSI IDs to SCSI devices
when it boots. This eliminates possible hardware conflicts that
can occur when two devices have the same SCSI ID. (The SCSI
device itself must also support SCAM.)
■Ultra stands for UltraSCSI, a very fast data transfer mode that
is supported by newer SCSI devices.
By default, the SCAM and Ultra options are enabled when you
install your SlimSCSI 1480 adapter.
To disable or enable the SCAM and Ultra features:
1
From Windows 95, click the Start button, point to Settings,
and then click Control Panel.
2
Double-click the System icon, and then select the Device Man-
ager tab.
3
Select View devices by type.

8
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
4
Double-click SCSI Controllers. The System Properties dialog
box now looks like this:
5
Double-click Adaptec APA-1480 CardBus UltraSCSI Adapter.
6
Select the Settings tab in the dialog box. In the Adapter Set-
tings box type one of these commands:
■To disable the Ultra option, type: /no_ultra
■To disable the SCAM option, type: /no_scam
■To disable both SCAM and Ultra options, type:
/no_ultra /no_scam
Be sure to include a space between the options, as shown.

9
Using the SlimSCSI Adapter
The dialog box will now display the options you have entered,
as shown below:
Note:
To enable an option that you previously dis-
abled, return to the Adapter Settings box and delete
one or both commands.
7
Click OK.
8
When you are prompted to restart your computer, click Yes.

10
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
Understanding SCSI
SCSI (pronounced “scuzzy”) stands for Small Computer Systems
Interface. SCSI is an industry standard computer interface for con-
necting SCSI devices (such as hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and
scanners) to a common SCSI bus.
A SCSI bus is an electrical pathway consisting of a SCSI adapter
(such as the SlimSCSI adapter) installed in a computer and one or
more SCSI devices. SCSI cables are used to connect the devices to the
SCSI card.
For the SCSI bus to function properly, SCSI IDs must be assigned to
the SCSI devices and the SCSI adapter, and the SCSI bus must be
properly terminated.
SCSI IDs
Each device attached to the SlimSCSI 1480 adapter, as well as the
adapter itself, must be assigned a unique SCSI ID number from 0 to
6. A SCSI ID uniquely identifies each SCSI device on the SCSI bus
and determines priority when two or more devices are trying to use
the SCSI bus at the same time.
■The SlimSCSI 1480 adapter is preset to SCSI ID 7, which gives
it the highest priority on the SCSI bus.
■In Windows 95, you can use the Device Manager to view the
SCSI ID and other information about each installed SCSI
device.
■If you installed Adaptec®EZ-SCSI®software, you can use the
SCSI Explorer utility to view the SCSI ID and other informa-
tion about each installed SCSI device.
SCAM Protocol
The SlimSCSI 1480 supports the SCSI Configured AutoMatically
(SCAM) protocol, which assigns SCSI IDs dynamically and resolves
SCSI ID conflicts automatically when you start the computer. If you
have SCSI disk drives or other SCSI devices that support SCAM,
you do not need to manually assign SCSI IDs to these devices.

11
Understanding SCSI
Terminating the SCSI Bus
To ensure reliable communication on the SCSI bus, terminators must
be installed (or enabled) on the devices at the physical ends of the
SCSI bus. The terminators on all devices between the physical ends
must be removed (or disabled). Termination on the SlimSCSI 1480 is
permanently enabled, since it is always at one end of the SCSI bus.
There are various methods for terminating disk drives and other
SCSI devices. Read the device documentation if you are not sure
how to do this. Here are some general guidelines for termination:
■Termination is usually controlled by installing or removing a
SCSI terminator. On some SCSI devices, termination is con-
trolled by setting a switch on the back of the device, as shown
in the illustration on page 4.
■Most SCSI devices come from the factory with termination
enabled.
Obtaining SCSI Cables
You will need additional SCSI cables if you connect more than one
SCSI device to your SlimSCSI 1480. It is important to use high-
quality cables to ensure that data is read and written correctly.
Adaptec provides high-quality SCSI cables designed specifically for
use with the SlimSCSI 1480. For purchasing information, contact
Adaptec at 1-800-442-7274, Monday to Friday, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Pacific Time).
1
See the free cable offer on the card included in this
User’s Guide
External SCSI Cables
PCMCIA 26-pin to High-Density 50-pin Cable
PCMCIA 26-pin to Centronics 50-pin Cable
PCMCIA 26-pin to DB25 Cable
1

12
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
Connector Types
Several different types of SCSI connectors are used on SCSI devices,
and each type requires a different kind of cable. The following dia-
grams illustrate the different kinds of SCSI connectors:
If you have a SCSI device with a DB25 connector, you can order a
free DB25 cable from Adaptec to connect it to the SlimSCSI 1480.The
mail-in card for the cable is inserted in this User’s Guide.
The total length of cabling on the SCSI bus should not exceed the
maximum lengths listed in the following table:
Maximum Cable Lengths
Number of
Devices Data Transfer Rate Maximum Cable Length
3
Ultra SCSI 1.5 m
3
Ultra SCSI
SCSI-2 3m
7SCSI-1
SCSI-2 6m
SCSI-2 High-density 50-pin Connector
T
ypically used with high-performance CD-ROM drives, hard disk drives, Jaz drives, and Plug
and Play devices.
SCSI-1, Low-density Centronics 50-pin Connector
Used with many CD-ROM drives, hard disk drives, SCSI tape drives, and scanners
DB25 Connector
Used with Iomega ZIP drives, Syquest EZFlyer, etc.

13
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Most problems with the SlimSCSI 1480 result from errors in prepar-
ing and connecting the SCSI devices to it. If you have problems,
check the items below.
Note:
If you have problems with a specific SCSI device when
other SCSI devices are working correctly, contact the manu-
facturer of the problem device for troubleshooting
information.
General Hardware Troubleshooting
■Be sure all SCSI cables and power cables are properly con-
nected and all SCSI devices are powered.
■Be sure the SlimSCSI 1480 is firmly seated in the CardBus slot.
■Be sure each SCSI device has a different SCSI ID.
■Be sure the last (or only) SCSI device on the SCSI bus is
terminated.
■Be sure at least one SCSI device connected to the SlimSCSI 1480
supplies termination power to the SCSI bus. Otherwise, the
SCSI devices will not work correctly. (Some devices have a
switch to enable or disable termination power. See the device
documentation for more information.)
The SlimSCSI 1480 terminates itself but does not provide ter-
mination power to other devices on the SCSI bus (the adapter
would need to draw this power from the portable PC’s battery,
which would not be desirable).

14
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
General Software Troubleshooting
Some portable PCs have a Suspend/Resume button to save power
without turning off the PC. If your PC hangs (that is, freezes, or
stops responding to keystroke commands) after you use this button
to resume activity, it may indicate that you need to update the
pccard.vxd and cbss.vxd files. Follow these steps to update these
files and eliminate the hang problem:
1
In Windows 95, click the Start button, then click Run.
2
In the Run window, type command, then click OK.
3
At the DOS prompt, type cd \windows\system and press
Enter. If Windows 95 is installed in a different directory, type
that directory name instead.
4
Type: copy pccard.vxd pccard.sav and press Enter. Then type
copy cbss.vxd cbss.sav and press Enter.
The old
pccard.vxd and cbss.vxd files are now saved under a
different name, in case you need to recover them later.
5
Type exit and press Enter to close the MS-DOS Prompt.
6
Insert the SlimSCSI 1480 Setup diskette in the floppy disk
drive.
7
Click the Start button, then click Run.
8
In the Run window, type a:\cardbupd and click OK. The files
are updated automatically.
Note:
The update program assumes that your
Windows 95 program files are in the
C:\Windows
directory. If Windows 95 is installed in a different
directory, you must enter the correct location by
typing
a:\update
<current path to your Windows 95 files>
For example: a:\update c:\Win95
9
Click the Start button, click Shut Down, select Restart the
Computer, and click Yes.

15
Troubleshooting
Windows 95 Troubleshooting
How do I determine if the Windows 95 socket is enabled and is running
correctly?
1
Insert the SlimSCSI 1480 in the CardBus slot.
2
Click the Start button and click Settings.
3
Click Control Panel.
4
Double click the System icon, and then select the Device Man-
ager tab.
5
Double-click SCSI controllers. If APA-1480 CardBus is not
listed, double click Other Devices.
6
If PCMCIA Socket is not listed, or if it is listed but has a yellow
exclamation mark or a red X next to it, PCMCIA Socket has not
been loaded properly or is not configured properly. See your
Windows 95 documentation for more information.
When I start Windows 95, the system locks up when the Windows logo
is displayed. How can I get the system to start so I can verify that the
SlimSCSI 1480 is functioning normally?
1
Start or restart your PC, and view the onscreen messages.
2
When Starting Windows 95 appears, press and release F8 while
the text is on the screen.
3
From the menu that is displayed, select Safe Mode. (It may
take several minutes for Windows 95 to load.)
4
Verify that the SlimSCSI 1480 software driver is loading prop-
erly (see below).
How do I determine if the SlimSCSI Windows 95 miniport driver is
working correctly?
1
Insert the SlimSCSI 1480 into the CardBus slot, if it is not
already inserted.
2
Click the Start button and click Settings.
3
Click Control Panel.

16
SlimSCSI 1480 User’s Guide
4
Double-click the System icon, then select the Device Manager
tab.
5
Double-click SCSI controllers. The driver for the SlimSCSI
adapter is listed as Adaptec APA-1480 CardBus UltraSCSI
Adapter.
■If the driver is listed, this means it is loaded properly.
■If the driver is listed but has an exclamation mark inside a
yellow circle, it is in a problem state (usually indicating a
conflict with other hardware using the same resources.)
■If the driver is listed but has an ‘X’ inside a red circle, this
indicates that it is disabled and is not loading.
■If the SCSI controllers icon or the APA-1480 CardBus driver
is not listed, reinstall the driver (see directions on page 5.)
Note:
Software upgrades (including downloadable drivers)
for Adaptec products are available on the Adaptec Web site
at http://www.adaptec.com
An “X” inside a red circle appears with the SlimSCSI 1480 software
driver in Device Manager. What does this mean?
It means that the software driver is disabled and is not loading. Fol-
low these steps to enable the driver:
1
Double-click the SlimSCSI 1480 software driver in Device
Manager.
2
Under the General tab, check the Original Configuration (cur-
rent) box.
What if there is no SCSI controllers icon under Device Manager, or the
SlimSCSI 1480 software driver does not appear under Device
Manager?
If the SCSI controllers icon or the software driver does not appear:
1
Double-click the Add New Hardware icon in the Control
Panel.
2
Select Yes on the second screen of the Add New Hardware
Wizard to have Windows search for the SlimSCSI 1480.