SUMMARY: SCSI converter - do I need one?

From: Julyan Cartwright <julyan_at_hp1.uib.es>
Date: Fri Jun 27 18:08:53 1997

I asked:
> Hi managers,
>
> I'm buying a Networker backup server from Digital that will consist of a
> Personal Workstation 433au connected to a TZ887 DLT 7-cartidge tape
> drive. DEC is telling me I'll need to buy from them a SCSI
> converter (part no DWZZA-AA) costing $700 to connect these two, because
> the workstation has a fast wide differencial bus but the tape is fast wide
> single ended. Is this right? I have 4000 DLTs connected to HPs and SGIs
> running quite happily with no converters. Any answers and explanations will
> be gratefully accepted, because my DEC sales guy can't explain this
> difference.

I sorted out the confusion with the help of
alan_at_nabeth.cxo.dec.com
"Eric Z. Ayers" <eric_at_compgen.com>
Paul Kitwin <PAUKIT_at_HBSI.COM>
Roel JT Jonkman <rjonkman_at_ittc.ukans.edu>
"Murphy, Ed" <Ed.Murphy_at_ussc.ussurg.com>
bbahnmil_at_redwood.DN.HAC.COM (Bryan Bahnmiller)
GIVAUDAN valerie <givaudan_at_ipno.in2p3.fr>
and my local DEC people.

DEC had mistakenly specified a differential host adaptor on the workstation,
together with 20 m of cable. This would require a converter. The advantage
of differential SCSI is you can have up to 25 m of cable, rather than 3 m as
with nondifferential SCSI. When I told DEC I wanted the tape drive right next
to the station they changed this to a normal single ended adaptor, which
doesn't need a SCSI converter. Problem solved.
Thanks all.
        Julyan

--
Julyan Cartwright                   Email julyan_at_hp1.uib.es
Computer Centre                     WWW   http://formentor.uib.es/~julyan/
University of the Balearic Islands  Tel   (+34 71) 172893
07071 Palma de Mallorca, Spain      Fax   (+34 71) 173426
Received on Fri Jun 27 1997 - 18:08:53 NZST

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