BlueSCSI (internal) not working when external RaSCSI is connected

3lectr1c

Active Tinkerer
May 15, 2022
629
293
63
the United States
www.macdat.net
I’ve got an F4lite BlueSCSI in my 180c PowerBook and it works just fine when nothing’s hooked up to the SCSI port, but when I have my RaSCSI (or is it PiSCSI now?) hooked up for file transfer, all of a sudden the BlueSCSI acts dead. The RaSCSI is recognized, so if I have a bootable volume attached to it, it will boot, but the BlueSCSI won’t show up. If no bootable volumes are attached and the RaSCSI is just plugged in, I get the question mark. This issue happens all the time, except when it doesn’t. A few times it’s just worked fine and that’s how I set up the system folder and all that on the BlueSCSI to begin with. I’m thinking termination issue but not sure? Any ideas? @Androda
 

rikerjoe

Tinkerer
Oct 31, 2021
146
220
43
I had a similar problem with a Mac IIsi with an internal BlueSCSI and an external PiSCSI that I was able to resolve by turning off termination on the PiSCSI. A BlueSCSI in a IIsi requires external power (not enough is provided by the SCSI port itself) so I am assuming it is some weird termination power interplay in my case.
 

Androda

TinkerDifferent Board Secretary 2023
Staff member
Sep 25, 2021
494
530
93
USA, Western
androda.work

It kind of sounds like a termination issue, because the issue happens unless it doesn't. Termination is finicky that way. I'm guessing you have already tried with termination disabled on the PiSCSI/RaSCSI?

I don't have a PiSCSI/RaSCSI to test with, so won't be a lot of help knowing what's going on.
 

3lectr1c

Active Tinkerer
May 15, 2022
629
293
63
the United States
www.macdat.net
Nope, never tried disabling RaSCSI termination becuase in past troubleshooting of other issues, it's only caused the RaSCSI to not show up to the system. I just tried it on the 180c though, and it worked! Both drives seem to be recognized fine now, thanks for the help!
 
  • Like
Reactions: rikerjoe

rikerjoe

Tinkerer
Oct 31, 2021
146
220
43
So far, I’ve had consistent behavior between internal BlueSCSIs and the external PiSCSI regarding termination, where I enable termination on the PiSCSI for all of my retro Macs except the IIsi. I recall back in the day the voodoo magic to get SCSI termination just right, then Don’t Touch It! It’s hard to overcome that conditioning. In my case, @eric suggested I try disabling termination on the PiSCSI when connected to my IIsi, and it worked. Credit goes to him.
 

speakers

Tinkerer
Nov 5, 2021
98
76
18
San Jose, CA
peak-weber.net
I too need termination enabled on a PISCSI when connected externally to my SE/30 with an internal BlueSCSI. Yet the same PISCSI can be happily connected externally to a Iici with or without termination.

As they said back in the day -- scuzzy.