I’ve been struggling trying to get the scsi2sd running in any capacity, since August of 2019, and thanks to some crucial help from Roger Lewis (a board member here), this go round took only two weeks and I finally have my AM1000 booting from the SCSI2SD, and/or using it as a sub-system. So I thought I’d post my notes in case someone else needed a drive replacement on their old AlphaMicro.
Long 10FT USB to Micro USB Data Transfer & Micro USB Charging Cable.
One of the many “gotcha” that added to my two year journey groping in the dark. Some cables are just for charging!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KC5169G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. To perminately power SCSI2SD as a fully setup disk drive.
4 Pin LP4 5.25" Molex to 3.5" Floppy Drive 4 Pin Female FDD Power Adapter Cable 7.5-inch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0837D3Y5G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
SCSI 1 cable 50 Pin Centronics male/male 11" long 50 wires flat cable int/ext.
*** Note *** I cut this cable in half, and added male 50-pin ribbon cable connectors to the ends, for 2 cables.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273672119488
4. To guarantee initial setup and operation.
Lerdisk 6-Pack 512MB Micro SD Card with SD Adapter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JBD783H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. To make disk copies.
UGREEN SD Card Reader 4 in 1 USB 3.0 SD TF CF MS Memory Card Adapter 5Gbps Read Write Simultaneously for SD SDXC SDHC CF CFI TF Micro SD Micro SDXC Micro SDHC MS MMC UHS-I Cards for Windows Mac Linux
I also create disk image files of the SD card to store and backup on my linux machine. I create and store disk image files of 512Mb. SD cards because my AM1000 recognizes all SD card I’ve tested (.5 ,1,2,4,16Gb) as 14 logicals with a bitmap of 4008 words ~64102 blocks. So, a stored 512Mb saves room on my linux machine (not a big deal), and restores to the larger than 512Mb SD cards I’ve tried.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ARAH6O0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I used a SCSI2SD V5.2 found here: https://store.inertialcomputing.com/product-p/scsi2sd-v5.2-2x-freeship.htm
I’m a linux guy, and tried to use linux and it was another one of the many “gotcha” that added to my two year journey groping in the dark. I don’t know yet what the issue was and I will re-visit this as time allows but I setup on a used/$100.00 HP laptop running windows 10 using setup software (scsi2sd-util) and firmware found here:
https://www.scsi2sd.com/v5/releases/v5.2.0/
These are the “General Setting” & “Device 1” tabs settings I used for the boot device in the scsi2sd-util setup software I used as on myAM1000. As a sub-system, the “General Setting” tab is the same but the “Device 1” & “Device 2” tabs settings are different. The “Enable SCSI Target” check-box is disabled on the “Device 1” tab graying everything out, and on the “Device 2” tab the “Enable SCSI Target” check-box is enabled. All the “Device 2” tab setting are the same as pictured for the “Device 1” tab except for the already mentioned “Enable SCSI Target” check-box is enabled, and the ‘ “SCSI ID” number is set to whatever “sub-system number” you choose while using “FIXLOG” to create your sub-system driver (1-3).
curbie
Before You Start
For me, starting a project only to stop it, half way through, while waiting for parts to be ordered and shipped in, is about as frustrating as it comes. So here is as list of stuff the SCSI2SD will need the complete the setup. Some are necessary (points [1,2] below), some maybe not (points [3,4,5] below), you can determine how you want to play that.
Necessary Hardware
1. To power the SCSI2SD & upgrade firmware, while operating setup software (scsi2sd-util).Long 10FT USB to Micro USB Data Transfer & Micro USB Charging Cable.
One of the many “gotcha” that added to my two year journey groping in the dark. Some cables are just for charging!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KC5169G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2. To perminately power SCSI2SD as a fully setup disk drive.
4 Pin LP4 5.25" Molex to 3.5" Floppy Drive 4 Pin Female FDD Power Adapter Cable 7.5-inch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0837D3Y5G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Optional Hardware
3. To connect a SCSI2SD to the external I/F port on the back of an Alpha Micro.SCSI 1 cable 50 Pin Centronics male/male 11" long 50 wires flat cable int/ext.
*** Note *** I cut this cable in half, and added male 50-pin ribbon cable connectors to the ends, for 2 cables.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/273672119488
4. To guarantee initial setup and operation.
Lerdisk 6-Pack 512MB Micro SD Card with SD Adapter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JBD783H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. To make disk copies.
UGREEN SD Card Reader 4 in 1 USB 3.0 SD TF CF MS Memory Card Adapter 5Gbps Read Write Simultaneously for SD SDXC SDHC CF CFI TF Micro SD Micro SDXC Micro SDHC MS MMC UHS-I Cards for Windows Mac Linux
I also create disk image files of the SD card to store and backup on my linux machine. I create and store disk image files of 512Mb. SD cards because my AM1000 recognizes all SD card I’ve tested (.5 ,1,2,4,16Gb) as 14 logicals with a bitmap of 4008 words ~64102 blocks. So, a stored 512Mb saves room on my linux machine (not a big deal), and restores to the larger than 512Mb SD cards I’ve tried.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ARAH6O0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Setup
1st. Consideration is boot proms, old AM1000’s & some AM1200 didn’t come with proms to boot SCSI-1 drives, only ST506/MFM drives over the Alpha’s SASI/SCSI-1 drive interface, so no matter what old Alpha you’re trying to boot, to boot from a SCSI2SD, your old Alpha must have proms that will that will initialize & sense the SCSI-1 drive, then boot from it. (if you’re stuck on boot proms, PM me I might be able to help) Also some AM100/L’s may have an IACC SASI/SCSI-1 drive interface board, I know we sold a bunch and I wrote and still have boot prom code for it, and may take on a SCSI update if there is any interest.I used a SCSI2SD V5.2 found here: https://store.inertialcomputing.com/product-p/scsi2sd-v5.2-2x-freeship.htm
I’m a linux guy, and tried to use linux and it was another one of the many “gotcha” that added to my two year journey groping in the dark. I don’t know yet what the issue was and I will re-visit this as time allows but I setup on a used/$100.00 HP laptop running windows 10 using setup software (scsi2sd-util) and firmware found here:
https://www.scsi2sd.com/v5/releases/v5.2.0/
These are the “General Setting” & “Device 1” tabs settings I used for the boot device in the scsi2sd-util setup software I used as on myAM1000. As a sub-system, the “General Setting” tab is the same but the “Device 1” & “Device 2” tabs settings are different. The “Enable SCSI Target” check-box is disabled on the “Device 1” tab graying everything out, and on the “Device 2” tab the “Enable SCSI Target” check-box is enabled. All the “Device 2” tab setting are the same as pictured for the “Device 1” tab except for the already mentioned “Enable SCSI Target” check-box is enabled, and the ‘ “SCSI ID” number is set to whatever “sub-system number” you choose while using “FIXLOG” to create your sub-system driver (1-3).
curbie
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