change order of SCSI-hosts?

[VJ]

Hello,

I have perhaps a strange question. My 2940UW is plugged in the mainboard, and its bios is enabled. When a storage device is connected (zip drive, CD RW, ...), it attempts to boot from any of those. However, if booting fails, it doesn't give my onboard SCSI controller a chance to boot. The system just waits...

Is it possible to have the system attempt to boot from the onboard controller prior to attempting the 2940UW ? Or even better: not to wait if booting from 2940UW fails ? My current solution is disabling the bios of the 2940UW. With different controllers, I know swapping cards does the trick, but as I'm using the onboard controller, that is no option...

Any suggestions ?
(other than disabling the 2940UW)


Jörg

PS: while typing this, I suddenly realised there might be a bios setting; will check that later this afternoon (am not behind that computer now).

[dZeus]

has to be implemented in your motherboard's BIOS
(often found as 'boot sequence' or 'boot other devices' options in the bios)

[Byock]

The PC BIOS should have an option for SCSI, or OTHER DEVICES in the boot order.

[VJ]

Yep, it is in the bios... But it doesn't listen to it ! Currently, the order is set to:
removable devices:
- floppy
- ide cdrom
- ID0 Seagate (on onboard Channel A)
- ID1 IBM (ditto)
- Iomega Zip250 (on 2940UW)
- other bootable cards

This causes the computer to just wait after POST; when I put the Iomega just above the Seagate, I get a message stating "no operating system found", after which the system waits.

I must disable the bios on the 2940UW if I want the system (in the above setting - Iomega below IBM) to continue booting.

Why won't it boot ?
And in the event the Iomega is above the Seagate: why doesn't it it pass the bootprocedure over to the next device if there is no disk in the Iomega ?


Jörg

[Wombat]

Memory conflict? Could it be that the SCSI card is hooking into a memory spot that the motherboard is already trying to use?

[VJ]

Could be... But how do I overcome it ?


Jörg

[Wombat]

It could also be an interrupt.

But, as for memory. I don't really know the 2940, but if it's hooking itself into memory, you ought to be able to find out where (the motherboard BIOS will show it as an "extension," or Device Manager can tell you).

[VJ]

Originally posted by Wombat
It could also be an interrupt.

But, as for memory. I don't really know the 2940, but if it's hooking itself into memory, you ought to be able to find out where (the motherboard BIOS will show it as an "extension," or Device Manager can tell you).

Not necessary: it could be that it attempts to load its bios in some memory range, thus preventing the onboard controller of loading its bios in the same memory range. However, if there are no storage devices connected, it doesn't load the bios. And I don't know where it loads this...

I didn't think they were sharing an interrupt.


Jörg

[Umfriend]

Can you boot from the ZIP if you connectit to the on-board SCSI?

[VJ]

I cannot connect the zip to the onboard SCSI (haven't got the cables to go from internal 50 or 68 pin to an external connector)

Well, I have no bootable zipdisks, but the computer shows "no operating system found" (zipdrive connected to 2940UW). I only get this message when the zipdrive is located before my harddisk in the bootsequence (in bios). If it is located below a harddisk, the screen just goes black after POST.


Jörg

[VJ]

Just got an answer for SuperMicro.
(you got to love'm: reply came in 1 hour)

(slightly modified to make it better readable)

This problem is caused by Adaptec SCSI firmware issue, the both cards are using different EBA so once put together one of the EBA will get higher priority, that is why the system tries to boot from the device that is attached to 2940UW not onboard AIC-7902W, we have this experience before with Adaptec 39320 and ASR-2120S Raid controller and have asked Adaptec firmware team to figure this out. That was two months already but so far they haven't got any further.

If your system don't need to boot from the device that attached 2940UW controller then you can disabled the BIOS of 2940UW or get into 2940UW
BIOS disabled the option ROM INT13 support.

Due to the Adaptec firmware issue so for this inconvenience.

Well, that answers it then... Both bioses are the latest versions, so I'll have to wait for Adaptec to come through...


Jörg

[UtwigMU]

Can you disable BIOS on 2940?

Or just get 2904 of Ebay or similar that has no BIOS for opticals, ZIP and similar.

[The PIT]

My old 2940, which I've seen to have lost somewhere in the cuboard, you could disable the boot option in the bios.

[VJ]

I must disable the bios on the 2940UW if I want the system (in the above setting - Iomega below IBM) to continue booting.

As stated before, disabling the bios works. This "problem" prevents me from booting from the connected CD-writer though. Not that it is that big a deal (have an IDE-dvd drive also present), but it is not the expected behaviour...
(I doubt Adaptec will alter the bios for the 2940UW)


Jörg

[dZeus]

I've got a 'special' 2940 UW bios that isn't available through adaptec's site... v3.30

if you want to give it a go, send me a Private message. Perhaps it might help.