Configuring using SCSISelect: Adaptec SCSI Card 39160 User's Guide

Configuring using SCSISelect

Configuring using SCSISelect

Introduction • Installing the Adaptec SCSI Card 39160 • Setting Up SCSI Devices • Connecting SCSI Devices • Adaptec SCSI Card Driver Software •Troubleshooting

SCSISelect, which is included with the Adaptec SCSI Card 39160, enables you to change SCSI settings without opening the computer or handling the card. SCSISelect also enables you to low-level format or verify the disk media of your SCSI hard disk drives.

The table below lists the available and default settings for each SCSISelect option. The settings that are marked as "Auto-sync" are automatically synchronized for both SCSI channels--for example, if you change the Boot Channel option to B First on Channel A, the change will apply to Channel B as well. All other options can be set separately for each of the two SCSI channels.

The default settings are appropriate for most systems and should not be changed. Run SCSISelect if you need to change or view current settings, or if you need to use the SCSI disk utilities.

SCSISelect Options

Available Settings

Default Setting

SCSI Bus Interface Definitions:

Host Adapter SCSI ID 0-15 7

SCSI Parity Checking Enabled
Disabled Enabled

Host Adapter SCSI Termination: Ch. A

Ch. B Automatic
Low On/High On
Low Off/High Off
Low Off/High On
Automatic, Enabled, Disabled Automatic

Automatic

Boot Device Options:

Boot Channel [Auto-sync] A First, B First A First

Boot SCSI ID
0-15

0

Boot LUN Number¹ 0-7 0

SCSI Device Configuration:

Sync Transfer Rate (MBytes/sec) 160, 80.0, 53.4, 40.0, 32.0, 26.8, 20.0, 16.0, 13.4, 10.0, ASYN 160

Initiate Wide Negotiation Yes, No Yes (Enabled)

Enable Disconnection Yes, No Yes (Enabled)

Send Start Unit Command Yes, No Yes (Enabled)

Enable Write Back Cache² Yes, No,
N/C (No Change) N/C (No Change)

BIOS Multiple LUN Support2 Yes, No No (Disabled)

Include in BIOS Scan2 Yes, No Yes (Enabled)

Advanced Configuration Options:

Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization
Enabled, Disabled

Enabled

Display <Ctrl> <A> Messages during BIOS Initialization [Auto-sync] Enabled, Disabled
Enabled

Extended BIOS Translation for
DOS Drives > 1 GByte Enabled, Disabled Enabled

Verbose/Silent Mode [Auto-sync] Verbose, Silent Verbose

Host Adapter BIOS [Auto-sync] Enabled
Disabled: Scan Bus Disabled: Not Scan Enabled

Domain Validation [Auto-sync]2 Enabled, Disabled Enabled

Support Removable Disks Under BIOS as Fixed Disks2 Disabled,
Boot Only,
All Disks Disabled

BIOS Support for Bootable CD-ROM2 Enabled, Disabled Enabled

BIOS Support for Int 13 Extensions 2 Enabled, Disabled Enabled

¹
Setting is valid only if multiple LUN support is enabled.
²
Settings are valid only if host adapter BIOS is enabled.

SCSISelect Options	Available Settings	Default Setting
SCSI Bus Interface Definitions:
Host Adapter SCSI ID	0-15	7
SCSI Parity Checking	Enabled Disabled	Enabled
Host Adapter SCSI Termination:	Ch. A Ch. B	Automatic Low On/High On Low Off/High Off Low Off/High On Automatic, Enabled, Disabled	Automatic Automatic
Boot Device Options:
Boot Channel [Auto-sync]	A First, B First	A First
Boot SCSI ID	0-15	0
Boot LUN Number¹	0-7	0
SCSI Device Configuration:
Sync Transfer Rate (MBytes/sec)	160, 80.0, 53.4, 40.0, 32.0, 26.8, 20.0, 16.0, 13.4, 10.0, ASYN	160
Initiate Wide Negotiation	Yes, No	Yes (Enabled)
Enable Disconnection	Yes, No	Yes (Enabled)
Send Start Unit Command	Yes, No	Yes (Enabled)
Enable Write Back Cache²	Yes, No, N/C (No Change)	N/C (No Change)
BIOS Multiple LUN Support2	Yes, No	No (Disabled)
Include in BIOS Scan2	Yes, No	Yes (Enabled)
Advanced Configuration Options:
Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization	Enabled, Disabled	Enabled
Display <Ctrl> <A> Messages during BIOS Initialization [Auto-sync]	Enabled, Disabled	Enabled
Extended BIOS Translation for DOS Drives > 1 GByte	Enabled, Disabled	Enabled
Verbose/Silent Mode [Auto-sync]	Verbose, Silent	Verbose
Host Adapter BIOS [Auto-sync]	Enabled Disabled: Scan Bus Disabled: Not Scan	Enabled
Domain Validation [Auto-sync]2	Enabled, Disabled	Enabled
Support Removable Disks Under BIOS as Fixed Disks2	Disabled, Boot Only, All Disks	Disabled
BIOS Support for Bootable CD-ROM2	Enabled, Disabled	Enabled
BIOS Support for Int 13 Extensions 2	Enabled, Disabled	Enabled

Starting SCSISelect

Follow these steps to start SCSISelect:

Turn on or restart your system.

During the startup process, pay careful attention to the messages that appear on your screen.

When the following message appears on your screen, press the Ctrl-A keys simultaneously (this message appears for only a few seconds):

Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSISelect (TM) Utility!

Select SCSI Channel A or B. Most SCSISelect options can be set separately for each SCSI channel.

From the menu that appears, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the option you want to select, then press Enter.

Note: If you have difficulty viewing the display, press F5 to toggle between color and monochrome modes, if this feature is available on your monitor.

Note: If you have difficulty viewing the display, press F5 to toggle between color and monochrome modes, if this feature is available on your monitor.

Exiting SCSISelect

Follow these steps to exit SCSISelect:

Press Esc until a message prompts you to exit (if you changed any settings, you are prompted to save the changes before you exit).

At the prompt, select Yes to exit, then press any key to reboot the computer. Any changes you made in SCSISelect take effect after the computer boots.

Using SCSISelect Settings

To select an option, use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the option, then press Enter.

In some cases, selecting an option displays another menu. You can return to the previous menu at any time by pressing Esc.

To restore the original SCSISelect default values, press F6 from the main SCSISelect screen.

SCSI Bus Interface Definitions

Host Adapter SCSI ID--(Default: 7) Sets the SCSI ID for the SCSI card. The Adaptec SCSI Card 39160 is set at 7, which gives it the highest priority on the SCSI bus. We recommend that you do not change this setting.
SCSI Parity Checking--(Default: Enabled) When set to Enabled, verifies the accuracy of data transfer on the SCSI bus. Leave this setting enabled unless any SCSI device connected to the Adaptec SCSI Card 39160 does not support SCSI parity.
Host Adapter SCSI Termination--(Default: Automatic) Determines the termination setting for the SCSI card. The default setting is Automatic, which allows the SCSI card to adjust the termination as needed depending on the configuration of the connected SCSI devices. We recommend that you do not change this setting.

Boot Device Options

Boot Channel--(Default: A First) Specifies which of the two SCSI channels the boot device is connected to (if the computer boots from a SCSI device). If you change this setting, the change automatically applies to both SCSI channels.
Boot SCSI ID--(Default: 0) Specifies the SCSI ID of your boot device. We recommend that you do not change the default setting.
Boot LUN Number--(Default: 0) Specifies which LUN (Logical Unit Number) to boot from on your boot device. This setting is not valid unless Multiple LUN Support is Enabled (see Advanced Configuration Options).

SCSI Device Configuration Options

SCSI Device Configuration options can be set individually for each connected SCSI device.

Note: To configure settings for a SCSI device, you must know its SCSI ID (see Using SCSI Disk Utilities).

Note: To configure settings for a SCSI device, you must know its SCSI ID (see Using SCSI Disk Utilities).

Sync Transfer Rate--(Default: 160) Determines the maximum synchronous data transfer rate that the SCSI card supports. We recommend that you leave the maximum (default) value of 160 MBytes/sec.
Initiate Wide Negotiation--(Default: Yes) When set to Yes, the SCSI card attempts 16-bit data transfer (wide negotiation). When set to No, the SCSI card uses 8-bit data transfer unless the SCSI device requests wide negotiation.

Note: Set Initiate Wide Negotiation to No if you are using an 8-bit SCSI device that hangs or exhibits other performance problems with 16-bit data transfer rate enabled.

Note: Set Initiate Wide Negotiation to No if you are using an 8-bit SCSI device that hangs or exhibits other performance problems with 16-bit data transfer rate enabled.

Enable Disconnection--(Default: Yes) When set to Yes, allows the SCSI device to disconnect from the SCSI bus. Leave the setting at Yes if two or more SCSI devices are connected to the SCSI card. If only one SCSI device is connected, changing the setting to No results in slightly better performance.
Send Start Unit Command--(Default: Yes) When set to Yes, the Start Unit Command is sent to the SCSI device at bootup.

The following three options have no effect if the SCSI Card BIOS is disabled; the SCSI Card BIOS is normally enabled by default.

Enable Write Back Cache--(Default: N/C) Can be used to enable or disable the write-back cache on SCSI disk drives connected to the host adapter. Leave this option at its default setting of N/C (no change), which usually allows for optimum drive performance.
BIOS Multiple LUN Support--(Default: No) Leave this setting at No if the device does not have multiple Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs). When set to Yes, the SCSI card BIOS provides boot support for a SCSI device with multiple LUNs (for example, a CD "juke box" device in which multiple CDs can be accessed simultaneously).
Include in BIOS Scan--(Default: Yes) When set to Yes, the SCSI card BIOS includes the device as part of its BIOS scan at bootup.

Advanced Configuration Options

Note: Do not change the Advanced Configuration Options unless absolutely necessary.

Note: Do not* change the Advanced Configuration Options unless absolutely necessary.*

Reset SCSI Bus at IC Initialization--(Default: Enabled) When set to Enabled, the SCSI card generates a SCSI bus reset during its power-on initialization and after a hard reset.
Display <Ctrl> <A> Messages during BIOS Initialization--(Default: Enabled) When set to Enabled, the SCSI card BIOS displays the Press <Ctrl> <A> for SCSISelect (TM) Utility! message on your screen during system bootup. If this setting is disabled, you can still invoke the SCSISelect utility by pressing <Ctrl> <A> after the SCSI card BIOS banner appears. If you change this setting, the change automatically applies to both SCSI channels.
Extended BIOS Translation for DOS Drives > 1 GByte--(Default: Enabled) When set to Enabled, provides an extended translation scheme for SCSI hard disks with capacities greater than 1 GByte. This setting is necessary only for MS-DOS 5.0 or above; it is not required for other operating systems, such as NetWare or UNIX.

Note: Changing the translation scheme destroys all data on the drive. Be sure to back up your disk drives before changing the translation scheme.

Note: Changing the translation scheme destroys all data on the drive. Be sure to back up your disk drives before changing the translation scheme.

Use the MS-DOS Fdisk command to partition a disk larger than 1 GByte controlled by the SCSI card BIOS, when using DOS, Windows 3.1.x, or Windows 95/98.

Verbose/Silent Mode--(Default: Verbose) When set to Verbose, the SCSI card BIOS displays the host adapter model on the screen during system buildup. When set to Silent, the message will not be displayed during bootup. If you change this setting, the change automatically applies to both SCSI channels.
Host Adapter BIOS (Configuration Utility Reserves BIOS Space)--(Default: Enabled) Enables or disables the SCSI card BIOS. If you change this setting, the change automatically applies to both SCSI channels.
Leave this set to Enabled to allow the SCSI card BIOS to scan and initialize all SCSI devices.
If this is set to Disabled: Not Scan, the SCSI card will not scan if the devices on the SCSI bus (for example, CD-ROM drives) are controlled by software drivers and do not need the BIOS, and you do not want the BIOS to scan the SCSI bus.
Set to Disabled: Scan Bus if you do not need the BIOS, but you want it to scan the SCSI devices on the bus.

The following four options have no effect when the SCSI Card BIOS is disabled. The SCSI Card BIOS is normally enabled by default.

Domain Validation--(Default: Enabled) Determines what kinds of SCSI devices are connected and reduces data transfer speed if it detects older legacy SCSI devices. Displays the resulting data transfer rate. If you change this setting, the change automatically applies to both SCSI channels.
Support Removable Disks Under BIOS as Fixed Disks--(Default: Disabled) Determines which removable-media drives are supported by the SCSI card BIOS. The options are as follows:
Disabled-- No removable-media drives are treated as hard disk drives. Software drivers are required because the drives are not controlled by the BIOS.

Caution: You may lose data if you remove a removable-media cartridge from a SCSI drive controlled by the SCSI card BIOS while the drive is on. If you want to be able to remove the media while the drive is on, install the removable-media software driver and set Support Removable Disks Under BIOS as Fixed Disks to Disabled.

Caution: You may lose data if you remove a removable-media cartridge from a SCSI drive controlled by the SCSI card BIOS while the drive is on. If you want to be able to remove the media while the drive is on, install the removable-media software driver and set Support Removable Disks Under BIOS as Fixed Disks to Disabled.

Boot Only--Only the removable-media drive designated as the boot device is treated as a hard disk drive.
All Disks--All removable-media drives supported by the BIOS are treated as hard disk drives.
BIOS Support for Bootable CD-ROMs--(Default: Enabled) When set to Enabled, the SCSI card BIOS allows the computer to boot from a CD-ROM drive.
BIOS Support for Int 13 Extensions--(Default: Enabled) When set to Enabled, the SCSI card BIOS supports Int 13h extensions as required by Plug-and-Play. The setting can be either enabled or disabled if your system is not Plug-and-Play.

Using SCSI Disk Utilities

To access the SCSI disk utilities, follow these steps:

Select the SCSI Disk Utilities option from the menu that appears after starting SCSISelect. SCSISelect scans the SCSI bus (to determine the devices installed) and displays a list of all SCSI IDs and the devices assigned to each ID.

Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to a specific ID and device, then press Enter.

A small menu appears, displaying the options Format Disk and Verify Disk Media.

Format Disk--Allows you to perform a low-level format on a hard disk drive. Most SCSI disk devices are pre-formed at the factory and do not need to be formatted again.

Caution: A low-level format destroys all data on the drive. Be sure to back up your data before performing this operation. You cannot abort a low-level format once it is started.

*Caution: A low-level format destroys all data on the drive. Be sure to back up your data before performing this operation. You cannot* abort a low-level format once it is started.**

Verify Disk Media--Allows you to scan the media of a hard disk drive for defects. If the utility finds bad blocks on the media, it prompts you to reassign them; if you select Yes, those blocks are no longer used. Pressing Esc at any time aborts the utility.

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