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RaSCSI Development Thread

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
On CM4, the PCIe bus is exposed, allowing you to add USB or another interface. (PCIe<->


PCIe to PCI is a lot less expensive than that. There are a couple on Amazon for under $20, both based on the ASM1083 and what looks like about 1/4 teaspoon of passive components strewn about. That should be easily enough implemented on a CM 4 carrier and out to some form of PCI in one step, but that's probably swerving a bit off the SCSI topic here.

CM 4 is amazing in format and features, I can't wait to see what you folks cook up with it.

 

Michael_b

Well-known member
PCIe to PCI is a lot less expensive than that. There are a couple on Amazon for under $20, both based on the ASM1083 and what looks like about 1/4 teaspoon of passive components strewn about. That should be easily enough implemented on a CM 4 carrier and out to some form of PCI in one step, but that's probably swerving a bit off the SCSI topic here.

CM 4 is amazing in format and features, I can't wait to see what you folks cook up with it.
I’ve heard bad things regarding the ASM1083.

 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
PCIe to PCI is a lot less expensive than that. There are a couple on Amazon for under $20, both based on the ASM1083 and what looks like about 1/4 teaspoon of passive components strewn about. That should be easily enough implemented on a CM 4 carrier and out to some form of PCI in one step, but that's probably swerving a bit off the SCSI topic here.




Can I suggest PCI-chat probably should go in another thread?

 

Trash80toHP_Mini

NIGHT STALKER
Absolutely, that's why I said we were swerving a bit off the SCSI topic. Thanks for drawing a clear line in the sand. Discussion about using CM 4 as an alternative RaSCSI powerhouse was great, but even that should now wait until until  @landoGriffin has a chance to experiment with using his CM4 in a future RaSCSI version when it arrives.

A new topic about designing the vertical external case suggested for RaSCSI/CM4 that will be equally applicable to RaSCSI/Zero is also tangential, such would keep this right on the development track topic.

 

PotatoFi

Well-known member
Hey everyone, I have been pretty busy and haven't been keeping up with RaSCSI development, but you might remember that I was interested in designing some cases. I have a small Etsy shop selling SCSI2SD brackets and ROM clips, and I think I'd like to expand the shop a bit. Any interest in a 3D-printed RaSCSI Zero case? Of course, I'll publish the design files for free, but sell printed cases.

Here's an early look. I made it match the aesthetic of Apple's external hard drives and floppy drives.

Screen Shot 2020-12-24 at 3.22.06 PM.png

 

mjc4513

Member
Question on the Mac version of RaSCSI - I have the X68000 version from GIMONS and now I also have the Mac version - what changes have been made. I'm trying to use the Mac version on the X68000 and cannot seem to make it work there. I have it working on my Quadra 650 without an issues, but the same setup does not work on the X68000. I have tried with the Mac software and with the original GIMONS software and the X68000 indicates the drive is not ready.

Thanks!

 

landoGriffin

Well-known member
Hi there!

Electrically, the Mac and Gimons versions should be the same... HOWEVER, there are different variants of each. All of the ones that I’ve sent out via Tindie are “fullspec”. It should say on your board whether it is fullspec or target only. There are different executables that you need to use for the different versions. 
 

Can you verify that you’re using the right version? RaSCSI should print it out to the console when you start it. 

 

mjc4513

Member
Yes, fullspec is the version and software I'm trying to use. You were talking about the software from Gimons, correct? I'm using the fullspec version from Gimons software with your version of hardware.

 

mjc4513

Member
OK, so the first try as with the Mac RaSCSI and GIMONS 1.5 code, I downloaded the 1.47 version of code and tried that with the Mac Hardware and now it indicates 'So low SCSI Level.' when it's searching for the drives. Not sure what that means, but the out come is different, so the hardware must be acting different from the original in some way.

 
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Michael_b

Well-known member
OK, so the first try as with the Mac RaSCSI and GIMONS 1.5 code, I downloaded the 1.47 version of code and tried that with the Mac Hardware and now it indicates 'So low SCSI Level.' when it's searching for the drives. Not sure what that means, but the out come is different, so the hardware must be acting different from the original in some way.
is termination enabled on the Mac RaSCSI?

 
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mjc4513

Member
Hi there!

Electrically, the Mac and Gimons versions should be the same... HOWEVER, there are different variants of each. All of the ones that I’ve sent out via Tindie are “fullspec”. It should say on your board whether it is fullspec or target only. There are different executables that you need to use for the different versions. 
 

Can you verify that you’re using the right version? RaSCSI should print it out to the console when you start it. 
OK, got a little further, I thought some termination issue with the so low level, so I added a terminator to the end of the bus, it then found the drive and tired to boot from it, but had a Read error. So, I'm getting closer!

 

landoGriffin

Well-known member
Do you have the termination switches enabled on the RaSCSI? That is a difference between Gimons and our version. I think he had termination on all the time. 
 

Are you using the same HD “type” as the Gimons board? There are a handful of different types, and to be honest, I’m not sure which are used when (except the Apple one) ;)  

 
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mjc4513

Member
OK, the Mac Hardware/GIMONS 1.47software is working via the SCSI card that I have for X68000 (after I enabled the Terminator, that I did not know about - sorry!!) It does not work via the SASI port that most X68000 have by default. GIMONS version works on both. There must be something in the updated hardware that make it not work, it does see the disk, but fails booting from it - but this at least would give others that have SCSI boards or standard SCSI ports on the X68000 another option for sourcing RaSCSI!!

 
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landoGriffin

Well-known member
OK, the Mac Hardware/GIMONS 1.47software is working via the SCSI card that I have for X68000 (after I enabled the Terminator, that I did not know about - sorry!!) It does not work via the SASI port that most X68000 have by default. GIMONS version works on both. There must be something in the updated hardware that make it not work, it does see the disk, but fails booting from it - but this at least would give others that have SCSI boards or standard SCSI ports on the X68000 another option for sourcing RaSCSI!!
Awesome! I’m honestly planning on dropping SASI support from my fork of RaSCSI sometime in the future. I have no way to test or debug it, and it adds a ton of complexity to the code. 

As I understand it, SASI allows you to have multiple logical devices on each ID, where SCSI does not.

Are there other systems out there that use SASI besides the X68000?

 

mjc4513

Member
SCSI is derived from SASI, it was the precursor, they are very similar, but slight differences. It would be great if you could support SASI for people that need a SASI device (like most of earlier the X68000 systems). I'm not sure why your hardware does not work, there is a patched SxSI driver that you install in the X68000 that allows SASI system to talk to the SCSI hardware - it works for SCSI2SD and GIMONS hardware. There must be some slight tolerance of your hardware that causes the reading to not work on the SASI bus. Since you do not have hardware, you do not know about it.

 

kerobaros

Well-known member
I ordered one of these from the Tindie page this weekend and am quite excited! Trying to decide which of my too many systems I'll use it on first, but I think it's going to be my SE.

 

kerobaros

Well-known member
Oh, is SCSI to Ethernet already working? I'd wondered that; great news!

I'm flipflopping now between my SE and my Mystic, but I guess I can just set up disk images for both, haha. How exciting!

 
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