SCSI2SD in a DEC 3000/300 - T-ERR-SCSI A

[Zane Healy]

On Sep 26, 2021, at 12:22 AM, Alexander Jacocks via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> 
> I’ve got a DEC 3000/300 system that has some SCSI drives with aging bearings installed. I’d like to be able to start to migrate some of my systems, like this, to flash media, of some kind, as even my large repository of SCSI disks is starting to dry up.
> 
> Here is my SRM level info:
>    DEC 3000 - M300
> Digital Equipment Corporation
>     VPP PAL V5.56-80800101/OSF PAL V1.45-80800201 - Built on 30-SEP-1996 09:18:31.84
> 
> As far as I have read, the SCSI2SD v6 2020 should be compatible with several varieties of DEC hardware, from the VAXen to the Alphas. However, I can’t seem to get anywhere useful with mine. I have the virtual disks configured as follows:
> 
>>>> sh dev
> 
>  BOOTDEV      ADDR      DEVTYPE    NUMBYTES     RM/FX    WP    DEVNAM      REV
>  -------      ----      -------    --------     -----    --    ------      ---
>  ESA0         08-00-2B-3F-4C-9A , TENBT
>  DKA100       A/1/0     DISK         9.54GB      FX            RZ40         6.0
>  DKA300       A/3/0     DISK         9.54GB      FX            RZ40         6.0
>  DKA400       A/4/0     RODISK     305.01MB      RM      WP    RRD45        6.0
> 
> All three disks are from the SCSI2SD. I have attempted to make the inquiry strings match the originals, as closely as possible. In the SCSI2SD utility, I have the following config:
> 
> General page: all defaults, termination off (I have tried parity, scsi2 mode, and setting SCSI speed to sync, with no improvement)
> Device 1: enabled, ID 1, device Hard Drive, start sector 0, sector size 512, sector count 18636800, vendor “DEC     ", product “RZ40     “, revision “ 6.0”, serial number <random string>
> Device 2: enabled, ID 3, device Hard Drive, start sector 18636800, sector size 512, sector count 18636800, vendor “DEC     ", product “RZ40     “, revision “ 6.0”, serial number <random string + 1>
> Device 3: enabled, ID 4, device CDROM, start sector 37273600, sector size 2048, sector count 148933, vendor “DEC     ", product “RRD45    “, revision “ 6.0”, serial number <random string + 2>
> 
> I’ve also tried booting from a virtual CDROM, only, with no luck there, either. In all cases, I get the following from SRM:
> 
>>>> test scsi
> T-STS-SCSI A - Data Trans test                  
> ? T-ERR-SCSI A - Data Trans test - nondma/sync inq size miscompare
> T-ERR-SCSI A - id = 1 lun = 0
> 
> ? T-ERR-SCSI A - Data Trans test - nondma/sync inq size miscompare
> T-ERR-SCSI A - id = 3 lun = 0
> 
> ? T-ERR-SCSI A - Data Trans test - nondma/sync inq size miscompare
> T-ERR-SCSI A - id = 4 lun = 0
> ?? 002      SCSI 0x0008
> 
> 
>  84 FAIL
> 
> Does anyone have an idea what might be causing this? Has anyone tried a v6 SCSI2SD in a DEC 3000?
> 
> Thanks!
> - Alex

I picked up a couple v6 boards for my AlphaStation 200 4/233, but haven’t tried to use them yet.

Are you using the onboard SCSI, or a SCSI board?  I’m ‘going to assume you’ve tried a different cable, and to get it working from actual physical drives?  Have you tried turning the termination on, on the board?  Is your SCSI Bus Terminated?

You actually have RZ40’s in the system?  I’m asking as I’m not actually familiar with that drive type, at least it’s not one I remember off the top fo my head.  I usually use RZ29’s.  On my v5.2 board on my VAXstation 4000/90 I think I went with basic 8GB drives, without a vendor string or product string.