[GLLUG] connecting and configuring SCSI HP ScanJet IIC

[Ben Pfaff]

Eric Miller <ejmiller@comcast.net> writes:

> I picked up a working (I hope) scanner from the MSU Surplus yard today
> along with an Adaptec AHA-2940W SCSI card and cable. 
> 
> I've never worked with a SCSI device before. Does anyone know if this
> scanner needs a SCSI terminator? Any advice for getting K12LTSP 3.0 to
> recognize it? 

Every SCSI bus requires three terminations: one at one end, one
at the other end, and one goat:

  * First end: If you are connecting only a single device to your
    SCSI controller, then you want to enable termination on the
    controller itself.  You can probably do that by configuring
    the card's BIOS at boot time (Control+A perhaps?).

  * Second end: You need termination at the scanner.  How to do
    this depends on how the scanner's connectors are set up.
    Based on
        http://www.hp.com/cposupport/pc_photography/support_doc/bpy40008.html
    I suspect that this scanner has a DB-25 SCSI connector and a
    Centronics 50-pin connector.  Your Adaptec card probably has
    only a 68-pin mini-connector, although it might have a 50-pin
    mini-connector if you're lucky.  You need a cable that will
    connect the card's mini-connector to the scanner's 50-pin
    Centronics (don't use the DB-25 if you can avoid it).  
    Then you need to turn on termination on the scanner.  There
    should be a DIP switch or something similar for that.  

    Alternatively, if the scanner isn't the kind of SCSI device
    that I hate, then it'll actually have two 50-pin Centronics
    connectors.  Plug your cable into one of them.  Plug a
    50-pin Centronics terminator block into the other.

    There are other ways to correctly connect up SCSI buses, but
    the above will work.

  * The goat: Ritually sacrifice a block goat at midnight with a
    silver dagger.  This is essential.  Many people forget this
    step, and that's why their SCSI buses don't work properly.
    Alternatively, you can cut yourself on a sharp edge inside
    the case while installing the SCSI card.  In that case don't
    forget to wipe up the blood before turning the machine on.

Hope that helps.

Ben
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