scsi termination question

[OcFerris]

Dumb me, new to scsi, just bought a couple unterminated u160 scsi cables with just enough connectors to hook up my drives. Then I read the part about my lvd drives not supporting active termination, that I must use a terminator on the last connector of the cable. Doh!

Does anybody make a u160 compatible terminator that will not force me to use/lose one of my connectors? Something like a little extention cable with termination or a termination pass-thru?

Thanks,
John

 

[mechBgon]

I'd get a new cable (and terminator) and call it done. The terminator is conventionally located as close as possible to the last drive on the bus, as in, about an inch downstream of it. Hypermicro is one good resource for cables, I don't think they'd sell ones that didn't work.

 

[OcFerris]

I was hoping to be able to use the cables I just bought without having to go through returning, restocking, rebuying, more shipping costs, etc. I need a 1" long cable w/ termination, or something.

 

[mechBgon]

I don't know how many drives you have, but here's a relatively good price on rounded, terminated cables with room for two drives apiece: $16 each or they've got a 4-position (3-drive) cable for $20. HTH

 

[OcFerris]

I have 3 hard drives. I bought 3 connector cables (+ one for the adapter obviously). The description for these says "includes terminator" so I guess I need the 4 device cable and the "included terminator" would take up one of those device connectors giving me 10" or so extra cable between the last drive and the terminator?

 

[mechBgon]

I'm a little confused. Why did you buy three cables... do you have a card with three channels or something? With a single-channel card, you'd plug in the three hard drives starting from the end closest to the terminator, and working your way towards the SCSI card. The SCSI card goes on the opposite end. That calls for a four-position cable plus the terminator position.

 

[Pariah]

Does anybody make a u160 compatible terminator that will not force me to use/lose one of my connectors? Something like a little extention cable with termination or a termination pass-thru?

Not to my knowledge. I would get another cable.

Why did you buy three cables... do you have a card with three channels or something?

He didn't, he just phrased it oddly. He bought a 3 position cable (4 connectors).

so I guess I need the 4 device cable and the "included terminator" would take up one of those device connectors giving me 10" or so extra cable between the last drive and the terminator?

Yes, you will need a 4 position cable but the terminator always goes on the end of the chain, preferably on the last connector of the cable so there shouldn't be any stub on the end of the cable.

 

[OcFerris]

Yes, now that I go back and read it, I did phrase it oddly. Sorry. I bought a single 3 device cable for a computer with 3 HDDs and a single 2 device cable for another computer with 2 HDDs. I guess I can use the 3 device cable in the 2 drive machine. Then bite the bullet for a new 4 device cable for the 3 drive machine. Somebody really ought to make what I need. I think they'd sell a ton. Well at least two ... to me.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Arcanedeath]

some cables are sold w/ active terminators so you could have for ex a 3 device cable w/ terminator built in, but their are also terminators that can just plug into the end of the cable as well. I'd suggest getting 1 active terminator so you can use the 3 device cable on your system w/ the 2 drives and then a 3 device cable w/ termination built in, they tend to be cheaper when the termination is built in, Just my 2 cents... hope it helps....

 

[OcFerris]

Are the "built-in" type the ones where the terminator is about 1" from the last device connector, right at the end of the cable? I have a flat cable like that but was looking to go with rounded. I don't like the idea of just using a terminator plugged into the last device connector simply because of the unneccessary added cable length that needs to be stuffed someplace out of the way. It just doesn't promote a "neat" installation and in my book, neatness counts.