>>>>> On Tue, 11 Jun 91 13:15:09 EDT, I said:
> We've just been given the go-ahead to add a 1.2 GB SCSI disk
> <Micropolis 1598-15 cyl 1692 alt 2 hd 15 sec 80> onto our 4/490.
>
> We'd like to enable sync scsi on this disk, but the SunOS 4.1.1
> manuals don't indicate whether this is possible on a 4/490.
>
> Is sync scsi possible on a 4/490 running 4.1.1, and if so, how do we
> go about enabling it?
I apologize for the late summary. Been busy, dontchaknow!
Here is the answer:
> From: doug@perry.berkeley.edu (Doug Neuhauser)
>
> Not with the Sun SCSI controller. It does NOT support sync scsi.
> To have synchronous SCSI support you would need a third party
> controller such as a Ciprico Rimfire SCSI controller.
and
> From: sundev!ronin!kevin@Sun.COM (Kevin Sheehan {Consulting Poster Child})
>
> It depends on the interface - as I remember, the 4/490 uses the
> si or se board for SCSI, neither of which do sync. The only
> interface that does sync at the moment is the esp, which is on
> the SPARCStations and 4/390.
So that's it, sun-managers. Sounds like we're out of luck, since we
have an si0 controller board in our 4/490s.
Here are some other responses that I received, which contain both
general and specific info about sync ssci that might come in handy for
some people:
> From: Mike Raffety <oconnor!miker@oddjob.uchicago.edu>
>
> You get sync SCSI on any SPARC (except the SS-1 plain) running SunOS 4.1.1
> automatically, if the disk is capable of it. When you boot up with it
> attached (and a kernel that recognizes SCSI disks), you'll see a message
> about the drive going synchronous, something like this:
>
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: dma0 at SBus slot 0 0x400000
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: esp0 at SBus slot 0 0x800000 pri 3
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: esp0: Target 3 now Synchronous at 4.0 mb/s max transmit rate
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: sd0 at esp0 target 3 lun 0
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: sd0: <Quantum ProDrive 105S cyl 974 alt 2 hd 6 sec 35>
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: esp0: Target 1 now Synchronous at 4.0 mb/s max transmit rate
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: sd1 at esp0 target 1 lun 0
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: sd1: <Quantum ProDrive 105S cyl 974 alt 2 hd 6 sec 35>
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: esp0: Target 2 now Synchronous at 4.0 mb/s max transmit rate
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: sd2 at esp0 target 2 lun 0
> Jun 10 03:12:29 trinity vmunix: sd2: <SUN0207 cyl 1254 alt 2 hd 9 sec 36>
>
> You can enable sync SCSI on the SS-1 plain by turning the kernel global
> _esp_ss1_esp0sync on. Note that this is NOT necessary on SS-1+. Some
> of the early SCSI chips on the SS-1 have timing problems with sync SCSI,
> so Sun disabled it on those models by default. I've had no problem with
> enabling it on mine.
> From: mark@maui.Qualcomm.COM (Mark Erikson)
>
> The OS will automatically probe the drive and negotiate sync SCSI and
> the appropriate speed. Disabling sync SCSI on the drive may mean that
> the drive will not initate the negotiation reguarding sync SCSI.
> From: todd@flex.Eng.McMaster.CA
>
> I asked the same question recently and got the following definitive answer
> from Hal Stern:
>
> >sun4 machines that use the old (sc and si) interfaces don't
> >support synch scsi. the chip set just doesn't do it.
>
> >in the 4/330 & 4/370, with the sm on-board interface, you
> >can enable synch scsi by setting scsi_disre_enable = 2
> >in the kernel (it's an int).
>
> >how's that for obscure?
>
> >--hal stern
> > sun microsystems
> > northeast area consulting group
My thanks to all who took the time to reply.
Manavendra K. Thakur Internet: thakur@zerkalo.harvard.edu
Systems Programmer, High Energy Division BITNET: thakur@cfa.BITNET
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for DECNET: CFA::thakur
Astrophysics UUCP: ...!uunet!mit-eddie!thakur
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