[3915] in linux-scsi channel archive
Re: Advice needed on UW ncr53c8x0 based boards
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Gerard Roudier)
Wed May 13 07:39:18 1998
Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 12:41:52 +0200 (MET DST)
From: Gerard Roudier <groudier@club-internet.fr>
To: Ulisses Alonso <ulisses@pusa.eleinf.uv.es>
cc: linux-scsi@vger.rutgers.edu
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.96.980513071027.3316A-100000@perezoso>
On Wed, 13 May 1998, Ulisses Alonso wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm currently using IDE at home but I would like switch to SCSI, I believe
> that UW ncr53c8xx based boards are a good & not expensive option. Also I'm
> interested on them because I have heard many times that helps in driver
> software.
>
> I do not know about boards that uses this chips, is there a list
> somewhere?
Here's a short list of SYM53C8XX based boards manufacturers, but the
complete list is probably a lot larger.
- Symbios
- Asus
- Tekram
- Promise
- Aresys
- Dawicontrol
- Intraserver
- Diamond
IMO, the best ratio features/price is reached by Ultra Wide SYM53C875
based boards, but you must be aware of the following:
- The Tekram board (DC390/F) uses proprietary BIOS and drivers.
- The Diamond board (Fireport 40) uses a proprietary PCI device id.
- The latest SDMS BIOS from Symbios requires a 64 KB flash RAM.
- All other boards seem to follow SYMBIOS board implementation.
- Some boards still uses 875 rev. 3 (part number: 609-0392410), but
rev. 4 is available since months (part number: 609-0392651).
All 53C875 based boards seems to work equally fine.
However, if you want to be able to use all Symbios SDMS BIOS and drivers,
and really want to buy recent stuff, you have to be carefull for your
choice.
If you desire to directly go to Ultra2, your choice would be a SYM53C895
based controller. Symbios and Tekram (at least) provide such boards.
For a 2 channel Ultra SCSI controller equivalent to 2 x 53C875, a
SYM53C876 based controller will be ok.
> I think that this boards doesn't support:
>
> + Command overlapping
> + Scatter/Gatter
You shouldn't think when asking a question is a lot easier,
and should never listen to siren song, Ulisses. ;-)
The only thing that isn't supported under Linux is the Linked Command
SCSI feature. This feature seems to go to obsolescence.
The SYMBIOS drivers for commercial O/Ses support all interesting features
and seem to work quite well.
Regards,
Gerard.
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