Can I put a SCSI Tape drive in an IDE rig?

[Epsil0n00]

I just got a free SCSI DAT drive and I am wondering how one would go about installing a SCSI drive in an IDE rig. I have an Abit KR7A-RAID mobo with 6 PCI slots. Is there a PCI card to convert the SCSI connection to IDE? Anything else I should know? Does the driver installation differ if I am converting the connection?

I am a SCSI n00b, please help. THanks!
Epsil0n

 

[chizow]

Originally posted by: Epsil0n00
I just got a free SCSI DAT drive and I am wondering how one would go about installing a SCSI drive in an IDE rig. I have an Abit KR7A-RAID mobo with 6 PCI slots. Is there a PCI card to convert the SCSI connection to IDE? Anything else I should know? Does the driver installation differ if I am converting the connection?

I am a SCSI n00b, please help. THanks!
Epsil0n

Don't think a SCSI to IDE exists, but there certainly are SCSI PCI cards available CompUSA is havinga 50% off sale on Adaptec products, a SCSI card can be had for cheap.

Chiz

 

[Epsil0n00]

is there any slow-down in data transfer speed in this type of conversion?

 

[chizow]

I don't think it will be an issue with a DAT drive, but high-end SCSI HDD (15k rpm) users generally stick to a 66mhz PCI bus to avoid any bus bottle-necks.

Chiz

 

[Lord Evermore]

There's no conversion if you're using a PCI SCSI card...the SCSI card is just an adapter to allow the connection of SCSI devices, just like an IDE RAID card lets you connect IDE hard drives. That's a "native" SCSI connection, no conversion happening except the same conversion to the PCI bus that every device uses.

There is no conversion for SCSI drives to connect to an IDE port. They're vastly different protocols and you would lose all the things that make SCSI good.

 

[Epsil0n00]

ahhh.... its all starting to make sense now. Thanks for the info. Are there any type of SCSI PCI cards that I should look for in particular? Any features that are better than others? Price? Reliable Brand? Thanks again!

Epsil0n

 

[compudog]

Adaptec makes great SCSI cards. A PCI version of the 2940U will work well with your tape drive. Be sure to check the cable type. There have been many revisions to the SCSI interface; there are 50 pin connections, 80 pin connections etc. Do a Google search for SCSI cards and you'll be sure to find a bunch.

 

[SuperSix]

Originally posted by: compudog
Adaptec makes great SCSI cards. A PCI version of the 2940U will work well with your tape drive. Be sure to check the cable type. There have been many revisions to the SCSI interface; there are 50 pin connections, 80 pin connections etc. Do a Google search for SCSI cards and you'll be sure to find a bunch.

You should have no problem grabbing a nice Adaptec 2940U/W in FOr Sale/Trade for ~25.00- 30.00..

There's some cheap Tekram cards floating around, they will work fine for your application as well.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Even fast tape drives top out at pretty low speeds, like 60MB per minute. Get the specs on your drive and get the slowest and cheapest card you can that will work with it. No need for an Ultra or UltraWide card if you're not going to use SCSI for anything else.

 

[ultimatebob]

You can get a Tekram PCI SCSI card that will do the job for under $30. Just make sure to get the right cable type, and don't forget to set the SCSI ID and terminator on the tape drive. Remember those two things, and you'll be all set.