🚀 go-pugleaf

In <313338D2.1977@amoco.com>, Chester Mccarter <jcmccarter@amoco.com> writes:
>S. Bhawmik wrote:
:> I have recently installed an adaptec AHA2840VL SCSI host adapter.
:> However, it seems that Warp is failing to recognize the card.
:> Following are the scenarios:
:> 
:> 1. With the host adapter bios enabled, during boot time
:> the card is recognized and the "AHA2840 ...." banner is displayed
:> allong with the message to press ctrl-a to invoke the scsiSelect
:> utility. However, almost immediately a message is displayed
:> saying "can't locate host adapter" "Bios not installed".
:> Following this message Warp does boot successfully, however
:> RMVIEW shows no trace of the host adapter (as well as the
:> selective install window).
:> 
:> 2. SInce currently I have only a CDROM drive connected to the
:> adadpter I was suggested to disable the host adapter BIOS. I did
:> that, however, Warp still did not identify the adapter.
:> 
:> My questions are:
:> 1. Why is warp failing to recognize the 2840 adapter? How can I
:> make it to recognize the card?
:> 
:> 2. The default IRQ for the adapter is 11. Although this IRQ is
:> free on my machine but the documentation (whatever skimpy I have)
:>  suggests  that I should use IRQ 15 for the SCSI adadpter. With
:> the bios disabled I am not able to invoke the scsi select
:> utility (which seems to be the only way to change IRQs on this
:> card). So, is there any way to change the IRQ settings on this card.
:> (BTW: Since I bought this card as an OEM version, I dont
:> have EZ_SCSI or CorelSCSI with me).
:> 
:> Any help will be highly appreciated.
:> Thanks
:> Sudipta Bhawmik
;>
;>First make sure that you are loading aic7770.add in your config.sys.
;>IRQ 11 is fine if it doesn't conflict with anything else.
;>-- 
;>Chester Mccarter, CNE
;>[Team OS/2]
;>jcmccarter@amoco.com

Bhawmik and Chester,
<PMFJI>, but let me add three additional bits of info.  During POST when
the AHA2840 banner appears, hit the ctrl-a keys and the 2840 BIOS utilities
will get envoked.  Using the BIOS SCSI utilities will allow you to configure
the adapter card (including the IRQ) and the entire SCSI bus connected to it.
Also, on the 2840 card, there is a switch block labeled S1.  All eight of the
switches should be OFF by default.  I have seen these cards act as you have
described when the SCSI bus is not terminated properly.  If the adapter does
not recognize any attached devices (due to bad termination) then it refuses
to install it's BIOS and also causes the device driver to fail to load so that 
the OS does not detect the card.  You didn't say whether your CD-ROM is 
internal or external which will make a difference.  Also, if you enable the BIOS
then the CD-ROM must NOT be at SCSI ID 0 or 1.  I usually recommend that
SCSI ID 4 and/or 5 be used for CD-ROM's.

Hope this along with the advice given by Chester helps with your problem.

/--------------------------------------------------------------------------
/  Norm Creech  <OS/2 - AIX/RISC/6000 - Linux bigot>
/                   Team OS/2 NC       normc@nando.net
/