Re: PROBLEM: Linux SCSI Reset With Tekram DC390-U2W and NCR/SYM Drivers

From: Gérard Roudier (groudier@club-internet.fr)
Date: Sun Apr 23 2000 - 15:34:31 EST


On Sun, 23 Apr 2000, Richard Gooch wrote:

> groudier@club-internet.fr writes:
> >
> >
> > On Sat, 22 Apr 2000, Evan DiBiase wrote:
> >
> > > [1.] One line summary of the problem: Linux resets the SCSI bus fairly often
> > > with the Tekram DC390-U2W.
> >
> > `Summary' should not be a synonym of `bare claim'. Such a statement
> > is probably untrue given the great success of this controller under
> > Linux.
>
> I'd have to agree. I've installed 5 DC390-U2W cards in different
> machines since September, and they're solid. I use the sym53c8xx
> driver. I also appreciate that Tekram provide generous accessories
> with the card (twisted-pair U2W cable, flat UW cable, flat U cable,
> U2W terminator) plus lots of connectors. It's nice not to have to shop
> around separately for these.

No problem for me to agree that Tekram DC-390/U2W, U2B and other Symbios
53C8XX based controllers are great controllers at a very reasonnable
price, but ...

This is quite different for their DC-395 series that uses a pathetically
poor SCSI chip of their own that does not have a hardware phase engine.
Result is about 5 interrupts per IO or even more. This may fit O/S
expectation as Windows, but for real O/Ses the DC-395 can only be very
sub-optimal compared to the DC-390 series.
On the other hand, their numbering DC-395 may let think that it is some
successor to the DC-390 series. Not only this is untrue, but the DC-395
looks like a 10 years old design based SCSI chip.

Regards,
  Gérard.

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Apr 23 2000 - 21:00:22 EST