SCSI-2 RAID Controller  "Passplay" FRU 92F0335
   Function of NVSRAM
   Cable Parts
IML Limits of Passplay
HD LED Does Not Work
Cyrix/Non-SOD Type 1 Incompatibility?
Cache Size
   Generic 30 Pin SIMMs for Cache
Accessing the RAID Configuration
   Configuration Utility
FWR Bios Flash Disks
   Saving a Passplay Flashed with Cheetah Microcode
   BIOS Release Features
   Complex BIOS Levels Required
Slots Passplay Fits
   More than one Passplay in a System?
LVD on Passplay
Number of Devices Supported
Running RAID Without Trays 'n Bays
Passplay Under W95 (it works!)
Mylex DAC960M Firmware
Specifications For FWR
ADF Sections

Stuff that is relevant, but chaotic... (fits, doesn't it?)
Create and Maintain your Array
Array technology, features, classifications(FWSR)
RAID Message Table
Hotswap bays for 95A
   Removing side panel from 3 bay cage
   Closeups of microswitches

Notes:
   28 pin 8Kx8 NVSRAM is a Benchmarq, bq4010YMA-200, Spec sheet
Another equivalent is a Dallas DS1225Y-200, spec sheet

DAC960 Trivia?
   Jumper JPl is a 6-pin header that provides a connection for three status LEDs. Pin 1 is to the left end of the board. In each case the odd-numbered pin is the +5V source. An  external series resistor is not required for the LEDs.

Indicator _____ Meaning if ON

NVSRAM Function
  Each NV SRAM has a self–contained lithium energy source and control circuitry which constantly monitors VCC for an out–of–tolerance condition. When such a condition occurs, the lithium energy source is automatically switched on and write protection is unconditionally enabled to prevent data corruption.

Cable Parts
   The mini C68 for the Channel edgecard connectors is the Molex 71660i, part# 15-92-3068, called a half pitch Centronics, or a VESA Media Connector. Suprise! AMP makes a similar part (mini-C68) AMP Part 1-557089-2 Any cable with a .025 pitch, 28 to 30 AWG will work with either connector.

A Better Cable Hack?
Allen Brandt wrote:
> A small, shotty attempt to get something uploaded concerning the PS/2. HERE

My Take on it:
   I am starting to have neurons fire. Actually, Allen provided the push. Al went and slit the conductors for better flexibility (in pairs).
   Could you slit the flat cable up towards the controller and get the very flexible cable bundle of the IBM original? The black sheathing is available from Jameco for about $1 a foot. Well worth it, IMHO. (Start the slit with an X-Acto and use the reverse of the blade to finish parting the conductors???)
   The sheathing is Techflex Cable Sleave, looks to be the 3/8" size. Sold in a 25' spool. Part #162157, Product # CCPT2X per spool $14.95  Techflex is HERE
What kind of signal degredation might occur? Each signal pair hopefully cancels it's noise out. If the Brandt manuever can be done from the top drive connector to theadapter, it might be a close match to the real thing

IML/Boot Limits of Passplays
   The Passplay was introduced for use with non-Flash systems. However, the Passplay does NOT support Int13 or IML. You either have to boot from a floppy or from an IBM IML capable SCSI adapter. A telling sign is the Type 5 form factor card cutouts in the case are on Slots 2-4. A Type 3 form factor SCSI Adapter has to be installed in Slot 1 to support Type 1 and Type 2 complexes that do NOT have the enhanced BIOS.

HD LED Doesn't Work
>Is i a fact that the HD LED does not work on a 9595A with a PassPlay RaidAdp.?
   The fixed disk light is non-functional with both the Server 95 A "Passplay" and Streaming-RAID "Cheetah" MCA RAID adapter.  I suspect this is also the case with other OEM'ed Mylex RAID adapters.

Cyrix/Non-SOD Incompatibility?
Tim Clarke
Hi gang,
      Just thought that I'd better warn you. After checking out the Cyrix 5x86 at 4x clocking (in Type-1 non-SOD w/cache) my PassPlay RAID adapter seems to have been "duffed up". I only get a part of the BIOS v1.05 initialisation/installation message and the machine hangs (with *any* CPU) at CP:96. Looks as though the Flash ROM has been partially overwritten (just a guess).

IBM or Generic SIMMs?
   They are 30-pin standard industrial ("generic") SIMMs. Since the original concept allowed 4x1MB, 4x4MB and even 4 x 16MB cache Simms they *must* be generic, because IBM only coded the 256K, 512K and 1MB modules. The 4MB and 16MB are not on IBM's list.

Configuration Utility version 2.31 consists out of two disks:
FWSR Option Disk, #1 ver. 2.31
FWSR Option Disk, #2 ver. 2.31
Readme for FWSR Option Disks

Not sure if this fits-
RAID Supplemental Diskette Version 2.0    And the Readme.txt RAIDSEND is a utility that provides an OS/2 ONLY command-line interface for performing various tasks on a IBM F/W Streaming RAID Adapter/A, the IBM SCSI-2 F/W PCI-Bus RAID Adapter, and the Mylex PL adapter for the IBM PC Server 704.

NOTE:All systems, except the 95-466, 95-560, 95 A-466, 95 A-560 and 9585-0Kx, require that the standard SCSI adapter or system board resident SCSI controller remain connected to the IML and/or boot hard file.

CAUTION!!!
   The Passplay and the Cheetah differ in the microcode, which *may not* be interchanged. The Passplay (FWR) adapter uses a microcode-level 1.6x through 1.99, the Cheetah (FWSR) uses 2.xx levels. If you flash the one adapter with the code from the other you end up in non-functional adapters. (See the README coming with the 1.99-level microcode update for the Server 95 RAID adapter)

SR Flash BIOS ver. 1.61 For RAID controller WITHOUT external port!
SR Flash BIOS ver. 1.62  For RAID controller WITHOUT external port!
SR Flash BIOS ver. 1.63  For RAID controller WITHOUT external port!
SR Flash BIOS ver. 1.99  For RAID controller WITHOUT external port!
Readme for raid199a.exe (Server 95A RAID Flash disk version 1.99)
Server 95 Array RAID API Module (Non-ASPI)

Saving a Passplay Flashed With Cheetah Microcode
From Peter
   During an IBM technical class after the introduction of the Server 500 the instructor told us that you *could* accidently flash a Passplay with the Cheetah firmware - and make it non-functional with that.
   He said: "You need a Cheetah adapter to flash back to Passplay level. The Passplay with the Cheetah-firmware will refuse to re-flash. Remove both - the Flash-ROM and the EEprom - and stuff it into a Cheetah adapter. Then run the Passplay Flash diskette to reprogram it to level 1.6x (Ed.: or 1.99 actually). Then re-install the two chips on the Passplay and it will work again."

Never tried it myself however.

From Peter
   IBM "unified" the version numbers for the BIOS and the microcode a bit. Or - to be precise - the return codes. The later Passplay codes ran along with the same RAIDADM software that was used by the "Cheetah" and contained some better infos and other tweaks for performance / safety reasons.

1.60  Initial code worked only with early Passplay board releases.

1.61  Official shipping code at the time the systems were widely available 1.61 had some bugs with drives other than IBM 1.0GB (particularly with the Maxtor MXT-540S in the "small" array configuration).

1.62   Contained information used by the 90MHz upgrade board - it is mandantory if your 95A uses the "big" platform. (Ed. P90 complex?)

1.63   The Passplay sometimes set drives into "DDD" (Dead) state when they failed to come on ready in a very, very short period of time after power on. 1.63 should fix problems with the DFHS 2GB drives (later microcodes - successor of the 0664) and the "dead drive" symptom.  As far as I recall IBM recommended to use this code in all machines that have more than 3 drives installed and the Pentium platforms (My guess: problems with the power supply and signalling problems caused by DC-ripples). >From 1.63 on you could use the same RAIDADM and the later ServerGuide Raid Manager for both adapters. Previous versions seemed to have delivered slightly odd codes that caused confusion.

1.99   IBM announced the code "out of blue sky" and I wondered why, because the Passplay was already discontinued at that time. The 1.99 codes contained some fixes for "other systems" than the 95A. It was the last code announced for the Passplay.

More Than One Passplay?
>An interesting note is that the 9595 has three enlarged slots to fit in three passplay adapters. Or, I guess, to move the one passplay adapter to the desired slot.

From Peter
   The machine has slotted rear wall in the positions 2, 3 and 4 that allowes installation of the oversized cards like Passplay. Since there are limitations in the MCA "package dense" I would say the positions are made to move cards around rather than installing 3 of them. As far as I know the MCA cooling densing does not allow more than 2 cards of that size to be installed - and even then the middle slot must stay free to allow sufficient airflow between the cards.
   As I wrote: it does not make sense to install more than one of the Passplay adapters anyway. For the Cheetah, which has a rear port and can use the "sidecar card" to route the Channel 1 to the rear as well for e.g. a 3518 expansion unit (and a total of 14 additional devices) things look different. 
   But the Cheetah isn't an oversized card. It is a standard full size 32-bit card - but it does not exceed the average card *height* - and that's the most sensible criteria in a 95A box regarding airflow. Not speaking of DC-load on a single MCA slot. That's another criteria that might forbid using too many of the "Big" cards in a machine.
   Not everything that *could* be installed is supported - and not every amount of cards is a) practicable, b) supported and/or c) works reliable. Even if the 400W PSU on the 95A might appear as a bottomless pit (current-wise) the base planar and the slots have physical limits on what current you can draw among it.

>We know that we can stuff multiple Cheetahs in a 9595A, PC Server 500 or 720, but I've never seen any more than ONE Passplay in a 9595A. Does anyone know if a tech manual anywhere makes a definitive statement on this subject?

   Uhm ... given that the adapter is in fact "hardware castrated" (and that this is not an affect of the adapter BIOS and the Raid management software) it were useless to stuff in a second adapter anyway. In a 9595A you simply don't have the room to install more drives ... and the adapter has not been announced for different models. The Server 500 uses the "Cheetah" instead. The "Passplay" has been designated as "Server 95A Raid" adapter in various publications and its
sole useage seems to be in a Server 95A. It had a very limited purpose due to the lack of an external port (which were as well -again- of limited use if our assumptions regarding the ID-assigments / limitations are correct).

 From Peter
 Remember the  "Cheetah"-Adapter's "Real Trade Name" ?  IBM Fast/Wide Streaming Raid Adapter /A.
   It it an ordinary F/W indended for single-ended SCSI devices. It does however take U/W LVD drives, because these are downward-compatible to single-ended, which the old "high-voltage differential" are *not*. 
      If you get - for example - a set of U/W "Low Voltage Differential" (LVD) IBM DDRS 4.5 or 9.1GB drives then they will nicely run with the Cheetah. I have some of them in "Starship" - my Server 520 attached to the Fast/Wide RAID Adapter PCI. No problem. You can even mix them with "ordinary" F/W or U/W drives. Same for the Cheetah and even the older Passplay.

# of Drives Supported
From Peter
>Is it possible to connect more than 7 drives to a PassPlay adapter? I tried to connect a short cable with an external connector on both the channels of the PassPlay adapter without any luck.

   The adapter supports only 7 devices. Technically it is a Fast-SCSI adapter, but only a single channel with a crippled ID-section. It does not use the MSB of the ID signal, even if you attach a Wide device to it.
   The thing is a bit mixed up and screwed down. It has two ports to make cabling easier for upper and lower bay - electronically they are treated as one port.

RAID without Bays 'n Trays
   Go HERE for Peter's experiences.

Passplay under W95
   First, I am shocked. But, live and let live...

Helmut P. Einfalt  Wrote:
   Pete Rickard got me onto the right track:

   You need to install IBMRAID.SYS (in DOS directory of RAID Diskette 1) even if and when the controller does fine under DOS. I installed it 
manually, although I presume that Uinstall.exe would do as well, however
after all the time I spent with the machine I wanted to have a manual go at
it...
   What no Readme (by IMB) tells you is hidden in the Mylex DAC960 Readme: To work properly under Win9x, this driver must be installed *before* any memory manager such as Himem.sys....
   Did that, booted, and up came Win95 continuing the installation procedure it broke off at the first "real" Windows start...

Transplanted the whole system (Raid cage w/3 drives, passplay) to the
9595-ALF (= EMEA version of -0LF).

Same setup:
(1) Spock (+ the famous 1 Gig Fujitsu brick and a CDROM)
(3) Passplay (+ 3 drives RAID5)
(5) XGA-2
(6) IBM ISDN 2000
(8) some NIC.

   The Fujitsu (set to SCSI 6 !!!) contains nothing but the IML -- the rest is
formatted, no OS, nothing. The Passplay array still has DOS 7 and Win95 (basic installation w/o knickknack for the moment -- the installation completed on the 95A after so many woes)...
   And now comes the surprising part: Powered up the machine -- and up came Win95 without a hitch. The Win95 I had installed on the passplay RAID.

Here we are.
Contrary to what the first experiments showed, it *is* possible to install
the Passplay on a 9595-xLx machine running Win95.
Prerequisites:
(1) Spock or similar with a HD of any size that contains the IML track.
(2) The appropriate driver sequence in config.sys:

DOS=HIGH
device=c:\RAID\IBMRAID.sys (or wherever this thing is set
Device=c:\win95\HIMEM.SYS
... etc.

Probably you could put the IBMRAID.SYS even before the DOS=HIGH statement, but since it ain't borke I don#t want to fix it right now...

When referring to this D040 number, please use the entire number, since this will help Technical Support identify specific features.

  Mfg.No.        Mylex Model
  D040322        DAC960M
  D040325        DBX960M
  D040331        DAC960M-2

I have an older controller with version 2.xx FW, can I update the FW to the 3.xx?
   Not all boards will support the upgrade to 3.xx firmware. If the controller has a revision number of D040347 or greater, the board will support the upgrade. This revision label is usually found on the back (non-component side of the board).

 Interrupt Level
   Interrupt level for the adapter
    <"Level E>, B, A

BIOS Base Address
   BIOS base address. Each adapter must have a unique address range.
    <"C0000-0C1FFF>, C2000-0C3FFF, C4000-0C5FFF, C6000-0C7FFF, C8000-0C9FFF, CA000-0CBFFF, CC000-0CDFFF, CE000-0CFFFF, D0000-0D1FFF, D2000-0D3FFF, D4000-0D5FFF, D6000-0D7FFF, D8000-0D9FFF, DA000-0DBFFF, DC000-0DDFFF, DE000-0DFFFF

 I/O Address
   I/O address range. Each adapter must have a unique address range
    <"1C00-1C1F">, 3C00-3C1F, 5C00-5C1F, 7C00-7C1F, 9C00-9C1F, BC00-BC1F, DC00-DC1F, FC00-FC1F

DMA Arbitration Level
   DMA channel the adapter will use to transfer data.
    <"Level 8">, 9, A, B, C, D, E, 1, 3, 5, 6, 7