[3212] in linux-scsi channel archive
Re: AHA1542CF suddenly stopped working! Help!
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (doctor@fruitbat.org)
Thu Feb 5 08:13:03 1998
From: doctor@fruitbat.org
To: libove@felines.org (Jay Vassos-Libove)
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 23:52:38 -0800 (PST)
Cc: lnz@dandelion.com, linux-scsi@vger.rutgers.edu, redhat-list@redhat.com
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.96.980204060606.729A-100000@panther.felines.org> from "Jay Vassos-Libove" at Feb 4, 98 06:07:29 am
Jay Vassos-Libove mumbled something about ...
>
> I knew he'd say that :) I forgot to mention -- the BIOS in this system
> is rather primitive -- there are no IRQ assignment settings at all.
Does this motherboard have PCI slots? If not, then no wonder it
doesn't have IRQ assignments. If it does, then I'd suggest that the BIOS
is in serious need of an upgrade. BTW, what brand BIOS is it? But, this
is kind of besides the point...
> The last thing which I will try later tonight is to change the IRQ of the
> board to see if the IRQ 11 line on the motherboard has gone bad. (I've
> already yanked the other cards except for the video board, so I'm sure
> that it isn't a conflict).
Unless the MB has an internal mouse which responds to the same IRQ as
what the 1542 is set to, I doubt it is an IRQ conflict. IRQ 11 is the
default, what do you have it set to?
Check the switch block on the 1542. You should have the floppy port
disabled, termination software controlled enabled, and an I/O port which
isn't being used by something else (default is 330-333h). The BIOS
address might need to be moved as well.
I'll assume you can get into the 1542's BIOS setup when the system
boots. There's a host adapter diagnostics option in the BIOS setup. Run
it. If that passes, try changing the IRQ and DMA channel numbers.
I have mine set to IRQ 11, DMA 6, and Base 330-333h. You might have to
play with the DMA transfer rate too.
I have to say, that for all the reputation this adapter has, I have
never had any problems with mine. I've had this board for 4 years now and
in everything from a lowly 386 with 20Mb to my current Pentium with 96Mb.
No problems.
> Any further ideas, or is it time to plunk down the $1500 for that new
> Pentium II that I've been wanting for so long?
I guess what you should really do is take the 1542 to another machine
and fully test it there. Try booting a vanilla linux kernel on this
other machine and just see if it will recognise the controller and
perhaps one HD attached to it (make sure SCSI termination is set on the
adapter and the HD). If this succeeds, I'd conclude that your MB has
suffered some damage. Perhaps static discharge damage.
... After re-reading your other posts on this problem, I'm kind of
inclined to say your MB is damaged. The fact that you did have it all
running and it suddenly stopped kind of indicates that something took a
hit. As much as some people would like to think that the system BIOS
works magic, it's just doing the same steps each time you boot the
machine and unless you changed a setting or removed/added some hardware,
it will assign the same things as it did last time.
One last thing about your system BIOS. Usually there are a plethora of
RAM timing settings. Suggest you reset everything to stock settings and
work from there.
Do the test above. If the card fails, then it's probably been damaged
and might indicated that your MB suffered some damage as well (it was
plugged into it at the time, right?).
> Jay Vassos-Libove libove@felines.org
> +1 770 552 0543 home +1 404 705 2867 work
> Roswell, GA 30075 U.S.A.
--
Peter A. Castro (doctor@fruitbat.org) or (pcastro@us.oracle.com)
