Date: Fri, 19 May 2000 19:58:25 -0400 From: "Michel Joly de Lotbiniere" <Michel@Lotbiniere.Net> To: <freebsd-scsi@freebsd.org> Subject: Q: Sony AIT-2 SDX-500C tape drive supported? Message-ID: <000001bfc1ee$1f366920$6401a8c0@lotbiniere.net>
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Dear Gurus, I'm debating the use of FreeBSD 4.0 (RELEASE version); due to the fact that my machine's disk space is entirely occupied by Windows 2K, testing FBSD is an all-or-nothing proposition, hence I'd like to be fairly certain that this hardware will work with the usual dump/restore utilities. This Sony drive is an AIT-2 Internal Tape Drive, OEM Model with Single Ended, Ultra SCSI, LVDS Interface (see http://ccpgprod.sel.sony.com/ccpg/ccpg_eusub_modelsub?model_id=SDX-500C). In the tech ref manual (http://ccpgprod.sel.sony.com/pdf/sdx500cpsm.pdf), p. 173, Sony says "In default configuration, the Sony SDX-500C emulates DDS drives. In this mode, it supports up to two partitions, logically numbered 0 and 1, where the logical Partition 1 is the first physical partition on the tape. The physical partition numbering is the same in either the DDS emulation or the native AIT mode: the first partition on tape is given the physical partition number of 0. In the DDS emulation mode, the drive translates the physical partition numbering scheme into the logical scheme that is communicated to the host. In the AIT mode, the logical partition numbers correspond directly to the physical partition numbers. SDX-500C manages DDS Emulation transparently, and it can be used as a large capacity and a high transfer rate DDS drive." And p. 181 goes on: "Consequently, SDX-500C can be used with DDS applications without requiring configuration adjustments via special commands or hardware switches. [...] (1) Cassette has its own Mode, of which there are two: (a) DDS mode and (b) AIT mode. The default mode for the drive is also the DDS mode, therefore a MIC cassette will be initialised as DDS mode cassette. You can initialise MIC in the AIT mode by using Mode Select Page 31h before Mode Select Page 11h. (2) The Mode is assigned for the cassette when it is initialised by using Mode Select Page 11h. If the AIT bit is set to ONE with Mode Select Page 31h before Mode Select Page 11h, then the cassette will be initialised in the AIT mode. (3) The power up default mode for SDX-500C is the DDS mode. SDX-500C automatically changes its mode to the same mode as with the cassette; it also automatically returns to the default (DDS) mode after ejecting the AIT mode cassette." Would this mean /unequivocally/ that the tape drivers in FBSD-4.0-RELEASE will work happily with this (wonderfully fast) device? The tech manual is a very detailed description of exactly how the SCSI interface works, but unfortunately I don't have the required SCSI guru knowledge to deduce the answer. Any help much appreciated and will be acknowledged. // Michel Joly de Lotbinière To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-scsi" in the body of the message
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