Replace 3.5" drives in HP9122D/HP9133H - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

15 Feb 2006

At 10:13 AM 2/15/06 +0200, you wrote:
...
 I am wondering whether it is possible to replace the
ailing Sony 3.5"
disc drives in both my HP9122D and HP9133H HP-IB units with PC 3.5"
drives? 
   Not a chance!  Tony Duell can give you all the technical details but the
short version is that drives are completely different. The good news is
that 9122 and compatible drives are frequently cheap on E-bay and in
surplus stores.

      Joe

...

These are the older Sony 3/4 height units with separate data & power
connectors, model OA-D32W-10 (double sided). The data connector has 26
pins. The power connector is standard 4 pin.

I located the pin-outs for these drives on a Japanese site, and found
that I could match all but 3 signals to a 'standard' 3.5" disc drive: 

SONY OA-D32W-10				STANDARD

1 Motor On			----->	10	/MOTEA - 0=Motor Enable
Drive 0
2 Drive Select 0		----->	14	/DRVSB - Drive Select 0
3 Disk Change		----->	34	/DSKCHG - 1=Disk Change/0=Ready
4 Drive Select 1		----->	12	/DRVSB - Drive Select 1

5 Disk Change Reset	----->	????

6 Direction Select	----->	18	/DIR - 0=Direction Select
7 GND				----->	GND	
8 Step			----->	20	/Step - 0=Head Step
9 GND				----->	GND	
10 Write Data		----->	22	/WDATE - Write Data
11 GND			----->	GND	
12 Write Gate		----->	24	/WGATE - Floppy Write Enable,
0=Write Gate
13 GND			----->	GND

14 Head Read		----->	????

15 GND			----->	GND	
16 Head Select		----->	32	/SIDE1 - 0=Head Select
17 GND			----->	GND	
18 Index			----->	8	/Index - 0=Index
19 GND			----->	GND	
20 Track 00			----->	26	/TRK00 - 0=Track 00
21 GND			----->	GND	
22 Write Protected	----->	28	/WPT - 0=Write Protect
23 GND			----->	GND	
24 Read Data		----->	30	/RDATA - Read Data
25 GND			----->	GND

26 Ready			----->	????	

Is such a retro-fitting exercise possible? One possible problem could be
the rotational speed; I know the Sony drives spun at 600rpm as opposed
to the PC standard 300rpm... Any comments and/or suggestions about the
feasibility, as well as matching the signals of pins 5, 14, and 26?

Cheers

Glen.