G'day,

Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, no longer recognising the SCSI chain, either internal or external. SCSI Probe "sees" the internal CDROM, but the info for it is garbled, and when a disc is inserted, it does not mount on the Finder. Same with external drives (using a proper terminator).

Have just replaced PRAM battery after several suggestions that that was the problem (computer was unplugged for 1yr, battery could have been low), however problem persists. (Anyone able to suggest the definitive method for resetting the logic board - ie use of cuda switch etc?)

What else can I try?

cheers


Travis

Have you tried ...

- Zapping the PRAM
- Changed external SCSI cable
- Pressed the CUDA reset button on the motherboard for 10 seconds
- Googled for 6500 SCSI problems - what with the TAM running exactly the same motherboard as found in a PowerMac 6500.
- If all else fails, I'd look out for a replacement 6500/300 motherboard.

JB

Zapped the PRAM 4 times after putting a paperclip over the PRAM battery terminals for 10 secs, and also trying the cuda button for 10 secs... No good.

Have tried 2 diff external scsi cables. Can't get to the internal scsi cables.

The TAM uses a unique motherboard, not the same as the 6500. It's a 6500 modified. And as I understand you need to half dismantle the machine to do such a swap... hoping it wont come to that, as it's such a devil-and-a-hard-place decision... Trust a tech who wont have any prior experience, or do it myself... Ok, the tech wins really... but still...

Yep, I was wrong there - looking around the TAM mobo is indeed based upon the 6500 architecture, the motherboard has different positions of components.

Zapping the PRAM - you've tried command+option+P+R at startup - and how about a fresh install of OS 9?

JB

Mmm, hadn't thought of that. Not using OS9 though, only got up to 8.6, but will certainly give that a try.

(Can't get away with copying the OS9 sys folder from my eMac can I...? :}

You probably could, just to test it.

JB

Oh - *slaps head* - Can't do that anyway. No way to instal new software, as the CDROM wount mount anything, floppy (too small anyway) is dead, external scsi equally garbled, and even my PCI USB card wont mount any USB memory sticks.....

Ok - new thought.
If I can disconnect power to the internal CDROM, assuming it is what's causing the problems... (incidentally and probably of great concern, the CDROM doesn't make its correct noises any more... when you put a disk in and it spins up, its very erratic and stop-starty...) will the external scsi chain be solved of the same garbled problems?

I've taken my Quadra's internal CDROM and mounted it in an external case. The ID is 6. SCSI Probe registers it is present (only if I DONT attach a terminator to the external case..!), but similarly the data it shows is unintelligible... as with the internal drive.

So, if I disconnect the internal one, will it help to register the external? This would in some way resolve my problem as I mostly just want to have either the ability to store my MP3s on the TAM (currently only have "Imagine" on it), and/or play CDs on it.

I'd try the internal CD disconnection myself - power or data cables both. SCSI on my old macs (probably on new too) is so inconsistent in the way it handles termination and similar issues. Sometimes a mac will be happy-as with no termination anywhere, other times it needs the exact right setup - sometimes when it fails it'll cause all kinds of disk errors, other times it'll just prevent booting and cause lockups. In essence - try disconnecting, and try every other combination you can think of .

As a somewhat clumsy workaround that would need your quadra as a go-between - would a localtalk connection get you what you needed? Connect the printer port of the TAM to the printer port of the 840AV, set appletalk in both to "Printer port" and huzzah ~224kbps networking. It's slow but it works.

dana

I have networked the TAM & Quadra before, have some appletalk connector thingies lying around still... But that's no good really, as the Quadra is now dead as a doornail... and the network I need to establish is between the eMac and TAM... the TAM has a comm slot for an ethernet card, but I don't have an ethernet card. And the way it's behaving - I don't imagine it will work anyway.

I'll have to get on to my buddy in the USA who has dismantled a TAM and see if he can guide me through getting to the power cable/scsi cable for the CDROM...