Minolta Dimage Scan Multi II F-3100 on Win7 X64

<p>Hi All,<br>

I bought a Minolta Dimage Scan Multi II F-3100 recently with SCSI card AVA 2906, manual and CD recently, but I found I can not use it with my computer with Win7 X64 system installed.<br>

I knew software will be a problem but Vuescan should be able to handle it., but my problem is I cannot get Scanner linked with Computer ---- There is no Win7 64 driver for the SCSI card.<br>

I have though of downgrade my system to Win7 X32, but my ram is up to 16G, so I hope I can avoid waste them.(X32 system only recognize 4G max.)<br>

I have made some research about it.<br>

1. SCSI to USB converter.<br>

---It may/may not work. <br>

---It will slow down the transfer speed(scan speed)<br>

---Only found one brand "Ratoc" ensure it can work with the scanner, but the product is obsoleted.<br>

2. Use some driver from Vista X64.<br>

In the scanner manual, I read the SCSI card model should be Adaptec AHA-2940, and there is a post to discuss on use driver of "Adaptec AIC-7870 PCI SCSI Controller (Emulated)" under Vista X64. I have tried it, but the driver can not be recognize in my system, also I found out the card I actually had is AVA 2906. Anyway, both AHA-2940 and AVA 2906 only support to Win7 X32, not X64.</p>

<p>I plan a way to work it out, but it will be helpful to get your opinion on it before I started. My idea is to <strong>get a newer SCSI card which works under Win7 X64.</strong><br>

There are three cards can work under Win7 X64 - 39160, 29160 & 29160LP. I guess they are the latest or last generation of SCSI card, all of them have 68 pin VHDCI LVD/LVD external connector. The current AVA 2906 has a DB-25 Connector. I am not another end plug into scanner is universal, need to find out tonight. <br>

I have 0 knowledge about SCSI card interfacing, <strong>not sure if the new card can be compatible with the scanner</strong>. I guess If the difference on those cards is just like USB1.0 vs USB2.0, then the plan should work.<br>

Appreciate if you have any idea about it!<br>

Regards,<br>

Ming</p>

<p>You may already be doing this, but you must power up the scanner and let it initialize before starting your computer, or the computer will not recognize the scanner.</p>

<p>Also, my experience with (and advice from Minolta several years ago) is that SCSI to USB adapters will not work with Minolta scanners.</p>

<p>I do know that my Multi II works fine with 32-bit Vista (Adaptec 2906 card), but haven't tried hooking it up to our 7x64 PC...</p>

<p>If you are running Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, you can run Windows XP in a virtual machine under Windows 7. The install is free from Microsoft.<br>

<a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx">http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx</a></p>

<p> Will the drivers work in a virtual machine? I do not know.</p>

<p>To William,<br>

Yes, I did power up the scanner first before starting computer. If the card is not able to be recognized, I think the scanner either. Thanks to let me know the card and scanner will work under 32-bit system , as least that is the last way I can try.</p>

<p>To Brooks,<br>

I have made some research about the VM WinXp, that doesn't work for hardware. Thanks for your reply!</p>

<p><strong>Just a update:</strong><br>

Yesterday just ordered a new 39160 SCSI card, which belong to SCSI III family. Will get cable (68pin to 50pin) soon as well. Will try once I receive them. Cheers!</p>

<p>Hi Ming. I am using a somewhat similar scanner (Minolta Dimage Scan Multi Pro) on a WIN7 64bit system using Vuescan. The workstation is an older HP XW8200 computer with dual Xeon processors and a dual bus LSI U320 SCSI interface built-in on the motherboard. I am using several U320 hard drives on one bus and I connect the scanner on the other bus so as to not degrade the LVD operation of the hard drives. I also connect the scanner using 1394 Firewire (much easier). Both methods work fine on my system.</p>

<p>Are you sure that no driver exists for your AVA 2906? On the Adaptec site they list a WIN7 driver. Here is a link to that:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.adaptec.com/en-us/support/scsi/2900/ava-2906/">http://www.adaptec.com/en-us/support/scsi/2900/ava-2906/</a></p>

<p>The AVA 2906 does seem like an older SCSI card. Your new 39160 should be a better match for WIN7. You should be able to find a cable or adapter to connect the DB25 of the scanner to the 68 pin of the adapter. I am doing that myself on a different system that I run occasionally.</p>

<p>It is important to remember that SCSI requires that the bus be terminated. The last device on the bus must have the termination enabled, while all other devices between must have termination disabled. I have experienced unstable behavior when the termination is not correct. For example, the system may work fine under one set of conditions and then, under other conditions, not recognize the SCSI devices.</p>

<p>Also, there are several kinds of terminations required for the different types of SCSI adapters. For example, the AVA2906 would require a different type than the 39160. The 39160 is an LVD U160 SCSI adapter so you may need an Active Termination. The scanner does not provide that type of termination, as far as I know. But you can work around that by disabling (turning off) the scanner termination and attaching an Active Termination to the second SCSI port of the scanner. Regards.</p>

<p>To have Windows, any 32-bit version since 2000, access more than 4GB RAM, add the switch /PAE to your boot.ini file on the line which launches the OS. NOTE: This is a workaround and in general 32-bit programs are not "aware" of anything beyond 4GB. But then again, this is also the case when running 32-bit programs on x64 systems.</p>

<p>Some personal opinions on the Multi II scanner itself: I had one but sold it after only a month or so. Whilst they may have been the "dogs glockenspiel" in their day, the lack of Digital ICE (not so on the Pro model, which I never tested) and in today standards just passable resolution and range, instead of flogging a dead horse, a modern flatbed does a much better job. Add to that, no drivers, no spares and no support, from Konica-Minolta, and the Multi II looks even longer in its tooth than the ten or so years that have passed since it was first introduced.</p>

<p>For the price of a new SCSI card, cables&adapters, all the time lost in trying to get this setup to work, you are already a long way towards getting a good modern flatbed. Anyway. That is my 2 cents worth.</p>

<p>Hi Walter, Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! Ava-2906 only supports up to Win7 32x, but not 64x, I have downloaded that driver but it didn't work. I had a 39160 and the cable on the way, but the "Active Termination" is the one I missed, and currently there are Centronics 50, D-sub-25 port & a set of Terminator dip switch at behind. I saw this <br /> <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-Pin-HD50-External-Active-SCSI-Terminator-w-LED-STSI-/370191244903?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56311e1e67#ht_1944wt_1395">http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-Pin-HD50-External-Active-SCSI-Terminator-w-LED-STSI-/370191244903?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56311e1e67#ht_1944wt_1395</a><br /> is that I need to get, and plug into the Centronics 50? Opps, looks like I need to buy another cable to use the D-sub-25 port to link to computer, the one I purchase is from 68 pins to 50 pins.</p>

<p>To Ingemar,</p>

<p>Thanks for the important information, I will try that if the SCSI things doesn't work. Yes, I have to agree I already feel headache before I really start to use it. I got it cheap, only 200 bucks with whole set. I currently had a Canon 8800F, but not very happy about scanning 135 with it. I have never used a film scanner before and that's why I decide to try it out. Besides the SCSI things I am facing, the other inconvenience is the MF tray, only load one film once a scan....I knew there may be more ahead waiting for me, but at least I got some experience. Thanks, :D<br /> <br /></p>

<p>Hi Walter,<br /> About the active termination, please correct me if my understanding is wrong:<br /> 1. I need to set "Terminator dip switch" off to shut down the termination function on the scanner itself.<br /> 2. I need to get a active terminator. <strong>I can choose to plug the terminator any slot on the SCSI card itself or the scanner.</strong> Since the card provides 2 internal 68-pin LVD SCSI connectors, 1 internal 50-pin Ultra SCSI connector, and 2 external 68-pin VHDCI LVD SCSI connectors, I can choose anyone of them to get a external or internal active terminal to do the job. I don't have to use the old slot in the scanner to do termination job.</p>

<p>Thanks again for your kindly help!</p>

<p>Ming (and Walter) allow me to answer on the SCSI termination: </p>

<ul>

<li>The SCSI chain must be terminated at each end</li>

<li>The SCSI card itself (actually HA for Host Adapter in SCSI talk) is a device on the chain.</li>

<li>There must be no other terminators, except at each ends. </li>

<li>An active terminator feeds the SCSI bus with signal voltage - a passive does not. Thus the names.</li>

<li>Unless the SCSI chain is very long, one active termination point is enough. Several active terminators can actually introduce problems on their own.</li>

<li>Most modern HA's incorporate internal active termination which is configured in the SCSI BIOS. If the SCSI chain starts at the HA, turning termination on in BIOS removes the need for an active terminator at the other end of the chain. A passive terminator will work just fine.</li>

<li>Thus if the chain starts at the HA, you must terminate it there. If the HA is in the middle of the chain, termination MUST be switched off.</li>

<li>If there is only one device on the chain, or if the scanner is the last device on the chain terminating it with the DIP switch is sufficient, provided the HA is also terminated in BIOS.</li>

<li>All devices on the chain must be powered on and ready before you boot up the computer with the HA. Allow for ample time for any device to perform its POST (Power On Self Test). If it incorporates a "Device Ready" indicator of sorts, wait at least until it lights up.</li>

<li>By experimenting you will notice that termination, regardless if active or passive, is not all that important with only a few devices on the chain. Again, most important detail and common source for trouble is to make sure no device in the middle of a chain is terminated!</li>

</ul>

<p>I should perhaps explain that I am a senior IT consultant and happens to be working for a subsidiary of Konica-Minolta...:)</p>

<p>Have fun!</p>

<p>Oh, another tip: because you have no Digital ICE, a wise investment would be in a dust removal software (as well as keeping the negs as clean as possible). There used to be a PS plug in as freeware as well as some stand-alone programs on the net. If you do some googling you should be able to either find the plug in or some other useful dust removal utility. Of course, if you only scan B&W, then having Digital ICE or not doesn't matter since it can't be used anyway.</p>

<p>Hi Ingemar,</p>

<p>Thanks a lot for such detail explanation about SCSI, I believe a lot people will learn and appreciate it. Since I have only one SCSI device which is the scanner (Thanks God, :D), I will try to work with the "Terminator dip switch" & my computer BIOS with new card to see if it works, before I purchase an active terminator.</p>

<p>I will take a note about the dust problem when I try the scanner, just to see how serious that can be in the particular scanner. First of first is to get it works. :D, Thanks again!</p>

<p>You are most welcome. You configure the termination, as well as other SCSI settings in the HA BIOS, not the computer BIOS, but you probably meant that. Once you have plugged in the card, during the computer POST, the SCSI BIOS will prompt you to press some key to enter the config option. Most likely the termination is enabled by default in which case you can just exit the utility and leave everything as it is. That should work best.</p>

<p>Dear All,</p>

<p>Sorry for the late update, the seller of the new cable shipped a wrong cable to me, tooks some time to make exchange.<br /> Now I have connected the scanner with the new SCSI card successfully, computer and vuescan is able to recognise it. When I try to scan my first slide, problem comes again. Vuescan stops responding during preview stage (or calirbation stage). I made a search about it, in a old post it said it will help by turning "auto focus" off, then I tried it but it did not work.</p>

<p>Anybody could sugget me if you surferred same problem before, much appreciate. ah..almost the final step....</p>

<p>You might try the routine mentioned in this link -</p>

<p> http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/how-to-run-old-minolta-scanners-on-vista-7_topic80321.html</p>

<p>http://www.mediafire.com/?rxb4bnxar4pbhk7<br />http://www.orgsoftcom.org/fileava-2906.htm</p>