USB to SCSI Adapters

USB to SCSI Adapters (also known as USB to SCSI Convertors), let you connect a SCSI device (such as a SCSI Printer) to a computer using USB. This is useful if your Printer has a SCSI connector but your computer only has a USB connector.

ADInstruments does not provide support for these devices. We have found them to be unreliable when used with our PowerLabs (i.e. may lead to loss of data), and system changes such as updating the drivers or switching to a faster machine can cause them to stop working.

If you have one of these devices already and it is working, then keep using it. If you are considering buying one for use with a PowerLab unit, then we recommend that you look for another solution such as a card or computer upgrade or a PowerLab using Windows PC computers. Although we do not recommend these devices for use with the PowerLab system, they work well with other devices such as printers and scanners.

Despite our recommendations, if you still wish to use a USB to SCSI adapter, then make sure that you always use the latest version of ADInstruments software. We have made some changes in our software to improve the reliability of PowerLabs with these devices. PowerLabs use a number of non-standard SCSI calls which may or may not be supported by these devices, while other hardware, such as printers and scanners, use a smaller set of SCSI calls.
 

With the introduction of the iMac and iBook, Apple produced their first computers that did not support SCSI. All other Macs have either built-in SCSI, or a PCI or PCMCIA slot where SCSI cards can be added. Current PowerMacs have USB built-in but they usually support the addition of SCSI cards if SCSI is not already available. For more information about SCSI or USB, refer to the SCSI and USB support pages.

E series and /S PowerLabs do not have USB connectors, so are unable to be used with iMacs or iBook Macintosh computers. The /SP PowerLabs have both SCSI and USB connectors, so can be used with most Mac computers. The /20, /25 and /30 series PowerLabs have USB only, so are only compatible with PowerMacs (excluding the first generation PowerMacs).

If you have an E series or /S PowerLab, and a USB only computer, then talk to your local ADInstruments representative about a solution.

The /E series and /S PowerLabs have SCSI connectors. The /SP PowerLabs have both SCSI and USB connectors, and the /20 and /25 series have standard USB only. The/25 and /30 series have only high speed USB which supports standard USB connections. USB has been available on Windows computers for a number of years now, so Windows users should not have any problems connecting a USB PowerLab to their computer as long as they are using a USB compatible version of the operating system (Windows 98, 2000, XP and later versions). Please note that Windows 95 and NT4 do not provide adequate USB support for use with PowerLabs.

Even if SCSI is not available as standard with a machine, Windows computers that do not support SCSI are very rare. You should be able to use your SCSI PowerLab with most Windows computers.

For more information on USB and SCSI for Windows, see the USB and SCSI support pages.