System Industries MSCP disk controller problem

[mxs46@k2.scl.cwru.edu (Michael Sokolov)]

   Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
   
   I wonder, is anyone here familiar with System Industries (SI) Q-bus MSCP
controllers for ESDI disks? The VAX I'm working has one. It's quad-height
board with connectors for 4 ESDI drives. I couldn't find a model number or
anything like that, but there is a sticker on one of the chips that says
"SYS IND" on it (that's how I deduced that it's SI). The problem I'm having
is that I have no idea how to configure it. It has two DIP switch packs,
one with 4 switches and one with 10. Originally it was configured to be the
secondary disk MSCP controller at 160334. I want it to be the primary one
at 172150. I tried every reasonable switch combination I could think of,
but no luck.
   
   What's even worse is that I can't leave it as secondary either. For some
reason its configuration makes the CPU (KA650) unhappy. When I pull it out,
the CPU passes all power-up tests beautifully. When I put it in, I still
get to the ">>>" prompt eventually, but first I get a load of error
messages from the self-tests. Then when I try to boot from DUB0, it tells
me "DEVASSIGN", suggesting that it doesn't recognize the second disk MSCP
controller at all. All docs I have suggest that 160334 is the correct
address for secondary disk MSCP. It's in the floating address range,
though, so I suspected that it's the side effect of adding or removing
other cards. I tried making the configuration as close to the original as I
could. No luck still. The only card I had to pull out is the secondary
TMSCP (Emulex QT13 9-track tape controller), because it appears totally
toast (the CPU refuses to power up with that infamous 9 when this card is
present). But then secondary TMSCP should be AFTER secondary disk MSCP in
the floating address space, right? I tried some more investigation and by
pure accident I discovered that the SI controller also responds somehow to
160400. What the hell is that address for? Could this be what makes the CPU
unhappy?
   
   Does anyone have any clues? Is anyone here familiar with SI MSCP disk
controllers? TIA for any help.
   
   Sincerely,
   Michael Sokolov
   Cellular phone: 216-217-2579
   ARPA Internet SMTP mail: mxs46 at k2.scl.cwru.edu

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Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 22:24:21 -0500
From: Tim Shoppa <SHOPPA@trailing-edge.com>
To: PUPS at minnie.cs.adfa.edu.au
Message-Id: <981130222421.2de00129 at trailing-edge.com>
Subject: Re: System Industries MSCP disk controller problem
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>   I wonder, is anyone here familiar with System Industries (SI) Q-bus MSCP
>controllers for ESDI disks? The VAX I'm working has one. It's quad-height
>board with connectors for 4 ESDI drives. I couldn't find a model number or
>anything like that, but there is a sticker on one of the chips that says
>"SYS IND" on it (that's how I deduced that it's SI). The problem I'm having
>is that I have no idea how to configure it. It has two DIP switch packs,
>one with 4 switches and one with 10. Originally it was configured to be the
>secondary disk MSCP controller at 160334. I want it to be the primary one
>at 172150. I tried every reasonable switch combination I could think of,
>but no luck.

This sounds a lot like the Webster WQESD, which was repackaged
and sold by many different folks (Sigma, DSD, Qualogy, American
Digital, etc.)

If it is a repackaged WQESD, SW9 on the 10-switch pack was originally
on, with SW10 and SW5-8 off, to put the CSR at 160334.  
To set it to be 172150, you put SW10 on, and SW5-9 off.

Then again, it might not be a repackaged WQESD, but instead a Dilog
or Emulex.

Is there a 10-pin header on the card edge?  Can you describe the positions
and types of "big chips" on the board?
   
>pure accident I discovered that the SI controller also responds somehow to
>160400. What the hell is that address for? Could this be what makes the CPU
>unhappy?

It might be because you've enabled the on-board PDP-11 bootstrap,
a very big no-no when used in a Microax system.  (This
bootstrap effectively tries to jam code by DMA into main memory,
and can wreak all sorts of havoc on a Microvax.)  Some
other switches also set the interrupt priority, and this being
off can also confuse some tests and OS's.

As to your power-on self-test woes, you're going to have to tell
us what's in the system and what slot it lives in, as well as what
sort of backplane it's all in.

Incidentally, I happen to use a Webster WQESD in my 4.3BSD-Reno
machine, and am very happy with it there.

-- 
 Tim Shoppa                        Email: shoppa at trailing-edge.com
 Trailing Edge Technology          WWW:   http://www.trailing-edge.com/
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