DEC ST506 Interface Adapter Part No 54-17003-01

-----Original Message----- From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk- bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Ethan Dicks Sent: 14 May 2009 18:40 To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts Subject: Re: DEC ST506 Interface Adapter Part No 54-17003-01 On Thu, May 14, 2009 at 1:24 PM, Robert Jarratt <robert.jarratt at ntlworld.com> wrote: know if mention I have a couple of uVAX 2000s (same box, move a jumper and don't attach a tube). The unexpanded box has connectors on the motherboard and comes with cables to attach one drive. I've seen them usually with RD53s and RD54s, but RD31s and RD32s should work fine, or IIRC, any drive you can manage to format on an RQDX3 using the Field Service formatter (not the Customer Runnable Diagnostics formatter). You can format known models of drive (RD31, RD32, RD53, RD54, and perhaps others) in the uVAX2000 box, too, but I don't think there's a way to format non-DEC-geometry drives there. So... unexpanded, you get a 20-pin and a 34-pin cable from the mainboard to the drive. What this expansion *might* be is a replacement cable that extends past the drive and goes out an access plate on the bottom of the box, then to a connector on a "skirt" (that should also be included) to give you a (ISTR) DD50P that you can cable to an external drive. There may also be a small circuit board in the skirt for the drive, it's been years since I've opened mine. There's also room in the skirt for external connector for the 8-port serial expander (DHT32?). I have one of those too, but haven't gotten the external cabling to use it. So... there _is_ a kit for adding an external disk connector to a MicroVAX/VAXstation 2000, but I have no idea if this part number is what it is. The *controller* is built into every uV/VS2000, but not the cabling for an external drive. -ethan