SCSI to USB

[graham_white]

<p>I have a Minolta Dimage Scan Dual film and slide scanner (Model No.F-2400) which I have used succesfully on my desktop computer (Windows 2000!, for over 10 years now) using an Adaptec SCSI card. The computer is now getting a bit unreliable, so.... I am now trying to find a way to use it with my laptop (Windows XP) using the USB port.</p>

<p>Has anyone tried this?<br>

Is there such a thing as an adapter that will convert from my SCSI output socket (or lead) on my scanner to the USB port on the laptop?<br>

Is any sotware available supposing I WAS able to connect ?<br>

Another brief question...my results are a bit dusty, can anyone tell me how to clean the optics on this particular model. I have had the thing apart and located a front silvered mirror under some clips is this the only thing that needs dusting?<br>

Thanks for anyone who can help on these two questions.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I found a Adaptec USBXchange Storage controller- Fast SCSI- 1.4 MBps for $60-70 on a Google search.</p>

<p>I'm interested if anyone knows of other adapters, since in a while I too will face this problem. Right now I have a Canoscan 4000FS on fast SCSI on an older machine, but one of these days... The thing has a USB connection too, but it is USB 1 and slower than pouring molasses through a small pipe. A lot of the adapters I see are only USB 1.1, too</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>Guys, I went through this years ago with a Minolta Scan Dual and then a Scan Multi. I tried the Adaptec USB adapter, and it didn't work. The computer did not see the scanners. I contacted Minolta (this was before they went belly up) and was told that the adapter would not work with Minolta scanners. My solution has been to migrate the SCSI PC card to each succeeding computer, since I'm still using the Scan Multi occasionally. I don't have a solution for a laptop connection, however.</p>

<p>JDM, I'm assuming that the adapter you found on Google is an older one, possibly the same vintage as the one I had, since Adaptec no longer has that device in their current inventory.</p>

[david_papas]

It might be best to just keep an old computer around for scanning only.

[franklin_polk]

<p>If your computer has a PCMCIA slot, (likely, if it is a Windows XP based laptop), there are PCMCIA to SCSI adapters available, which should be more reliable than a SCSI to USB adapter.<br>

As for software, Vuescan states it is compatible with your scanner, and it is free to try. </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Thanks. I fear that this may be one of those things like scanners themselves that are of interest to a constantly shrinking number of people.</p>

<p>Well, I just took in my old G4 laptop to have the screen repaired (or rather the cable connection to the screen), so I will still have one SCSI machine still working even if my old G4 tower dies (running Jaguar).</p>

[DWScott]

<p>Hi Graham,<br>

Allow me to offer you some hope/encouragement. After a long stretch of failure and experimentation, I have been able to get my Minolta Scan Multi to work with a USB-to-SCSI adapter. I am using a 2010 Macbook Pro running Mac OS x 10.6, but the issues seem the same for PC and Mac users.... the computers have outpaced both SCSI technology and the Minolta software.</p>

<p>The adapter I purchased was the RATOC U2SCX. This was the adapter recommended by Hamrick Software, for use with the Vuescan software and the Minolta scanners. In addition, the RATOC website lists my scanner as supported. It looks like yours is too, but I refer you here:<br>

<a href="http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/support/Compatible/u2scxlistmac.html">http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/support/Compatible/u2scxlistmac.html</a></p>

<p>I don't know if you can get the Minolta software running on a newer computer, although on the Minolta Scan Multi email list, some folks report success getting it to run all the way up to Windows 7-64 bit. You will need to keep researching that topic.</p>

<p>However, Vuescan will definitely work. As suggested, it's a free download to try so it comes with no risk. Vuescan is regularly updated and Ed Hamrick is a really dedicated guy.</p>

<p>I had to overcome a number of issues to get my Scan Multi working over the last year. Some of these may not apply to you, especially because you know that your scanner works well now. I bought a used Scan Multi and had no guarantee that it worked at all. I also had no documentation for it, other than what I could find and read on the internet.</p>

<p>Problem 1 -- getting the right connection between the U2SCX and the scanner. The U2SCX comes with a high-density SCSI connector on the end, and it did not match the connector on my scanner. Do you know how hard it is to find SCSI cables and adapters these days! I did find a SCSI specialist who was able to cobble together a cable adapter and gender changer for me. But I was always unsure if the cable worked, because I couldn't get the rest of it working immediately.... I also added the "optional" AC-adapter cube to the RATOC U2SCX, in case the scanner needed SCSI bus-power (which the RATOC doesn't supply unless you plug in the optional "wall-wart.")</p>

<p>Problem 2 -- setting the SCSI ID and Termination correctly. Like I say, I didn't have a manual for the scanner, and wasn't sure what the correct settings were. Especially when being used with the RATOC adapter. Finally through trial and error, and snippets of conversations on the internet, I found the correct setting for the Minolta Scan Multi. (SCSI ID: 5, and the dip switches for termination set, left to right, UP-DOWN-DOWN-DOWN.)</p>

<p>Problem 3 -- correct power on sequence. This took forever to work out correctly, and make sure I followed it religiously. The sequence that works is: plug SCSI cables and adapter into scanner. Plug AC adapter into SCSI adapter - power light comes on adapter. Make sure no film holders are in the scanner. Push the power button on the scanner. WAIT -- it takes the Scan Multi a long time to warm up it's lamp and cycle through the power-on-self test. It seems like it's finished at one point, but it's not, it cycles again. Finally it stops. Now plug the USB connector into the computer. Power on the computer. Launch Vuescan. Vuescan should display that the Minolta Scan Multi is connected. If no scanner is reported, something is amiss, and you should try again.</p>

<p>Problem 4 -- alignment. I banged my head against this one for a long time. In Vuescan, when you click Preview or Scan, if the scanner has not been aligned in a while Vuescan will automatically start an alignment before proceeding. This automatic alignment start ALWAYS crashed for me. The alignment countdown would count to 100% and then loop back around to 0% again, and the scanner wouldn't do anything. In desperation I found that I could start the preview or scanning process if I clicked Cancel on the alignment process before it started. But then I got scans that weren't aligned! Which was a problem because I was mostly scanning empty filmholder, and only catching the edge of the actual film! Finally I broke down and emailed Ed Hamrick. He suggested, that after starting up the software I use the menus to manually force an alignment. This time, the scanner replied, and was successfully aligned! Now I can successfully Preview or Scan my film and everything is correctly aligned.</p>

<p>It took me a year of off-and-on experimentation to get everything working. About once a month I would sink whole days into experimenting, researching, getting parts etc. I don't know why I kept going, by rights I should have given up. But it's all worth it now. The scans I can get from my Scan Multi are really beautiful. Considering that new and used solutions for scanning medium format are >$2000, it was worth my time to keep working at the problem.</p>

<p>I hope you have luck getting your scanner going, and I hope my experience can be useful.</p>

 

[JDMvW]

<p>Thanks David.</p>

<p>I have found that there used to be a SCSI to Firewire (IEEE 1394) converter or two- one was the <a href="http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/products/FR1SX.html">Ratoc FR1SX</a>. Whether it would work with Lion is another question, and the model has been discontinued by Ratoc.</p>

<p>When it was still going, it specifically listed Snow Leopard and Vuescan support.</p>

<p> </p>

[kavin_k]

<p>tried the vuscan method to no avail, the dual boot solution is interesting, would i be able to transfer files from one os to windows 10?</p>