Connecting UMAX scanners to G3/BW Macs via SCSI cards: one last follow-up

A reply from UMAX Regarding the UMAX document that we posted last time, Paige Mendheim (Senior Technical Marketing Specialist of UMAX Technologies) writes: "While some of these troubleshooting methods were relevant to supporting UMAX scanners on the new G3's early on, they are no longer the correct method for our Professional scanners. The Professional scanners include the PowerLook II, PowerLook III, PowerLook IIIse, PowerLook 3000, Mirage II, and the Mirage IIse. All of these scanners are driven by a software driver called MagicScan. When using MagicScan 4.x, there is an MagicScan 4.x G3 Updater (available to correct any SCSI ID issues related to SCSI Manager 4.3 compliance (and mentioned previously on MacFixIt). We have tested our professional scanners with the Adaptec 2906, Adaptec 2930CU, Adaptec 2940UW, Adaptec 2940U2B, Initio 9090U, AdvanSys 3925, AdvanSys 3940UA, AdvanSys 3922, AdvanSys 902 in conjunction with the MagicScan 4.x G3 Updater and found them to work wonderfully."

Reader Laura Stout confirms this, noting: "My B/W G3 400 was able to see my UMAX PowerLook III scanner only after updating the MagicScan software for the scanner to version 4.2. Until updating the software, the computer was not able to see the scanner via connection to the Adaptec 2940U2B SCSI card which shipped with my Mac, or with an Adaptec 2906 card recommended by the company."

On a related note, Don Gillespie notes that the UMAX 4.2 MagicScan software "fixed a problem with Adobe Acrobat, namely the inability to scan directly into Acrobat to produce a multipage PDF using a standard TWAIN driver (File>Import>Scan...). MagicScan 4.1 always gave me a 'Can't find the scanner' error. V4.2 works perfectly."

SCSI Manager 4.3 issue In another reply to the issue as to whether certain UMAX scanners connected to certain SCSI cards may work because they are not SCSI Manager 4.3 compliant, Kennedy Brandt (a former employee of UMAX Computer Corporation) writes about drivers other than this MagicScan update: "UMAX Technologies scanner drivers are still not SCSI Manager 4.3 compliant. One consequence of this, aside from problems with most SCSI cards, is that even in a dual SCSI bus system, no other device can use the same SCSI address as the scanner -- even if the scanner is on the external bus (Bus #1) and the other device is on the internal bus (Bus #0)." This agrees with previous postings here at MacFixIt.

Termination issues Yet another reply points to termination problems with UMAX scanners as a cause of "scanner not identified/working" errors - although UMAX disputes this. As posted on a web page: "For some strange reason UMAX is persisting in not providing terminator power from its scanners. In the Astra 600s and the 1200s, just like in most earlier models, this is again the case. We have notified UMAX of this fact and that we see it as an important problem. Their response is that they see no problem." The web page provides a work-around that involves switching a jumper on the scanner's logic board. Reader email replies suggest that the fix indeed works - even with SCSI cards that UMAX claims are incompatible with the scanner.

Bluenote update for UMAX released Meanwhile, Initio has released a UMAX Updater for the Miles Bluenote INI-9090U. "The Updater is for users of MagicScan 4.x. It allows use of UMAX PowerLook or Mirage scanner on Blue and white Power Mac G3's."

[I am ready to retire this UMAX issue for now. Enough electronic ink has been spent on it.]