Reading 9-track tapes in Linux

[John Foust]

At 02:57 PM 7/3/2005, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
>However, the termination is something that I've been concerned with.
>Howard used it with a short (~3ft) SCSI cable.  I'm using it with a longer
>(~6ft) cable.  The tape drive has two 50-pin IDC connectors on the back.
>There's a ribbon cable coming out of one of the connectors with two
>amphenol connectors on the end.  One amphenol connector is terminated, and
>the other is connected to my SCSI cable, which is then connected to my
>SCSI interface on the PC.  The other 50-pin IDC connector is just open.  I
>mentioned to Howard that this didn't look right but he said it always
>worked for him.
>
>I have (or at least I think I have) a terminator that will plug into a
>50-pin IDC type connector, but I can't find it.  I'm hoping that fixing
>this cabling mess will solve the problem.

Ah, termination.  I never believed it was right until I took apart
every device and confirmed the wiring.  I've seen commercial external
SCSI boxes wired the wrong way inside (making illegal 'T's instead
of daisy-chain), making proper termination impossible.  Good cables
can make a difference.  Your 6-foot versus Howard's 3-foot could
make a difference.  Try swapping cables.

>I'll try again, though at this point I'd rather be shot in the head.

Obviously it's not going to work without the SCSI blood sacrifice.

- John