"8253 Chip Is Out of Order" (-10)
"Old Version of Driver" (-5) and related SCSI errors

"8253 Chip is Our of Order"

The 8253 chip is (well, was) the SCSI controller chip in the UMAX scanner - although the error message suggests that this hardware component has failed in over 90% of cases reported to IMC this error is caused by a software problem. See below for further details.


"Old Version of Driver (Error Type:Kit, -5)"

Despite the suggestion that this problem is caused by outdated software, this error is actually also related to a SCSI problem (never the driver software version). This error has become more common since the release of the Apple 54xx/64xx/6360 ranges of computers, for which special attention has to be paid to the MacOS version and hard disk configuration.


Software Conflicts Causing SCSI Errors

The vast majority of 8253 errors and some "Old Version..." messages are caused by a known conflict with La Cie's SilverLining software - this Control Panel is supplied with Lacie/D2 fixed and removable media drives and various OEM products, for formatting and mounting disk drives etc. The same manufacturer also writes the "D2 Driver", a system extension which is sometimes used to support advanced features of hard drives. Unfortunately the only solution is to disable both the extension and the control panel - we have been trying to raise this issue with SilverLining's developers for some time and hope the incompatibility will be solved in a future release (we understand that several other scanner manufacturers are also affected).

SilverLining and the D2 Driver can also cause other SCSI-related problems including: "Unable to communicate with the scanner", Horizontal lines in scans, "Scanner Not Found or Not Ready" (when connected, on and Ready) etc. To quickly rule out software conflicts when troubleshooting scanner problems, we recommend end users boot with all Extensions disabled (hold down the Shift key at power-up).


MacOS & IDE Drives - Low Level System Patch

The "Old Version of Driver" error is most common on the Apple 54xx, 64xx and 6360 series - these models, which used IDE hard disk drives, originally included a serious OS bug which affected most types of SCSI devices. This was first fixed with a patch to System 7.5.5 ("Apple 54xx/64xx/6360 Updater") which added a low-level fix to the hard disk drive. From System 7.6 onwards, this patch is included in the operating system provided the hard disk drive is formatted using the latest version of Apple Drive Setup. In a few cases, machines that were supplied with System 7.6 or later can be fixed by using the "Update Driver" option in Drive Setup. Note: This issue also affects the UMAX Apus 2000 and 3000 models, which are based on the same Apple design. For further information please see http://www.apple.com/support/; the 54xx/64xx/6360 Updater is included on most recent UMAX Scanner CDs, or can be downloaded from Apple's web site.


General Issues causing Old Version of Driver error or Problem Communicating with Scanner

The following are the most common issues that also cause associated errors:

1. Make sure that the scanner is on a unique SCSI ID in the range 1-6 (using the switch on the back) - no two devices should use the same ID (NB: internal CD-ROM drives usually use ID3, the scanner default is 5). The last device in the SCSI chain (or the scanner, if it is the only SCSI device) must be terminated (a 25 pin terminator is included with the scanner). Only one device in the chain, the last, should have termination enabled or a terminator fitted. Note: earlier versions of MagicScan cannot differentiate between devices on the internal and external SCSI bus, make sure that no duplicate IDs exist on any bus and upgrade to MagicScan 4.1 or later.

2. In general we recommend making sure that the hard disk drive is using the latest driver, as this can have a significant effect on the SCSI chain and the scanner's behaviour (even when using models other than the 54xx/64xx/6360). The low level device driver can be updated using the latest Apple Drive Setup software. Other important fixes are included in MacOS 7.6 or later.

3. Iomega Jaz and Zip removable media drives are becoming increasingly common, and are sometimes related to scanner SCSI problems. This is NOT due to any hardware incompatibilities, but normally due to either SCSI ID or termination. Internal Jaz drives normally ship set to SCSI ID 5, the same as the scanner's default - if you use an internal Jaz, change the scanner SCSI ID to 1, 2 or 4. External drives sometimes can often only be set to ID5 or ID6 (again, ID5 will conflict with the scanner's default) and the Termination switch on the drive is often left on - if the Jaz or Zip is not the last device in the chain, make sure that it isn't terminated.

4. General SCSI chain issues may also include cabling, termination power etc. The normal troubleshooting procedure is first to connect the scanner as the only SCSI device (terminated) and boot with extensions disabled - also try the scanner on another Mac if possible. Conventional wisdom is to connect the scanner as the last device in the chain, but this isn't a requirement. Minor and otherwise insignificant electrical differences can exist between cables and devices but these are usually resolved by changing the order of devices in the SCSI chain. Most UMAX scanner models do not provide termination power (although some can if reconfigured by a qualified engineer - this is a point of some controversy); in general termination power is very rarely the cause of any SCSI problems. We will release more information on this subject shortly.

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