SCSI2SD: Is it worth a try?

[Douglas Taylor]

I've used the SCSI2SD with great success with vintage DEC computers.
On QBUS machines, both vax and pdp-11, it has worked with Emulex UC07, 
TD systems Viking, Andromeda SCDC and the DEC RQZX1 controllers.
I have used it on native SCSI controllers in VAX 3100, VLC 4000 and 64 
bit ALPHA machines.

The only other point I would make is that you need a linux system with a 
SCSI controller to move data in/out of the SCSI2SD.  I am using a 64 bit 
Debian system and I found that the 32 bit SCSI2SD utility wouldn't run 
on the 64 bit machine and needed to be recompiled.  However, I still use 
a Windows 7 computer to setup the SCSI2Sd via USB.

Doug

On 3/18/2019 10:15 PM, Charles Dickman via cctalk wrote:
> What is the experience with the SCSI2SD with old computers? It looks to be
> SCSI-1 and SCSI-2 compatible and I see a lot of reports of usage on this
> list. I am curious about how well it works and which version to get.
>
> Versions up to 5 seem to be GPLed and reasonably available. V6 does not
> seem to have schematics or boards open sourced and I haven't seen a
> supplier for them. The web page lists some sources, but they don't have the
> V6 available.
>
> It looks like the V6 is not open because someone used the design without
> following the GPL.
>
> V6 claims synchronous transfers, but I don't think most of my hardware
> supports it. That consists of VAXstations and qbus scsi cards. If I was
> after speed I wouldn't be using old hardware, but the speed has to be
> consistent with the era.
>
> Chuck