28 Jul
2001
28 Jul
'01
1:21 a.m.
Has anybody ever mounted a SCSI device in a BA-123?
Of course, in my case in my PDP-11/73 (well the chassis originally housed
my first working VAX).
1. I tried to install a standard half-height 3.5"
SCSI drive into a
BA-123 system (MicroVAX II). Basically, I bought a little 3.5"->5.25"
adapter, and then screwed the adaptor into the sliding base where an old
RD-54 lived. I found the solution unsatisfactory; the adaptor's screw
holes did not match up with the sliding base, and it generally feels
fragile. Is there a better way? I am envisioning some sort of "cage" which
has the form factor of a full-height 5.25" drive, with mount points for a
3.5" drive (or two). Does such a beast exist?
I'm using removable hard drive trays, the slot for the first one is screwed
onto a RD5x sled, the second is only sitting on top loose because I've been
to lazy to do it right.
2. Has anybody ever installed a half-height internal
CD-ROM (or tape
drive) in a BA-123 system? This would be really sweet (sure beats an
external one!), but would it mount nicely, and would it be possible to
cover up the half which isn't being used with a nice faceplate?
Again, of course. I've got a DEC RRD42 (I think that's the right one) and
a TZ30 in there right now. I'd like to eventually replace the TZ30 with a
TLZ06 4mm tape drive (this has been done with a lot of commercial PDP-11's).
3. Is there a decent internal SCSI cable which can be
used in a BA-123? I
only have a couple of boards in the system, so my SCSI controller is all
the way in the front of the backplane (back of the system), far from the
disks, and just barely reaches the disks. Is it possible to get one with
some slack, and still have several disk connectors?
Unfortunatly for this you're going to have to find the ribbon cable and
connectors and make your own. If you look you might be able to find one
that will just barely fit, and I believe that's what I've got in mine.
However, making your own is the correct answer.
Zane
--
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Administrator |
| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | OpenVMS Enthusiast |
| | Classic Computer Collector |
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