SUMMARY: Attaching Fuji M234x SMD disk drive

From: Warren Jessop (whj@cs.washington.edu)
Date: Fri Feb 12 1993 - 03:22:55 CST


Original query:

   An old Fuji M2361A SuperEagle SMD disk (attached to a 4/280) blew out
   this week and I'm attempting to replace it with an almost-as-old Fuji
   M2343 or M2344 SMD ~600 meg disk.

   The M234x had been attached to a defunct 3/160 since about 1988, and
   was the only disk attached to that machine. Through the years
   responsibility for the 3/160 shifted, and as a result the manual that
   came with the disk disappeared, so I am flying blind.

   I did not think this would present a problem till I looked carefully
   at the cable receptacles on the M234x. All other SMD disks I've seen
   have two A-cable receptacles, one for an "incoming cable" and one for
   an "outgoing cable" or a terminator. This one has only one A-cable
   receptacle. I'd like to use the existing A-cabling setup that I have
   rather than rearrange cables for the other three disks on the XY753
   disk controller, so I need some way to simulate two receptacles. I'm
   thinking of rigging up a Y-connector, but I'm not sure about whether
   there is an internal terminator or not. The thing has scads of
   configuration switches, so maybe one of them has something to do with
   termination.

   Anyway, its obvious from the above that I need help. Help!

           Warren Jessop, University of Washington Computer Science
           206-685-3797 whj@cs.washington.edu

Thanks to

Dan Strick <dan@bellcore.com>
Jeff Mallory <jeff@millie.loc.gov>
Sid Shapiro <sid@ingres.com>
John Amor <amor@geop.ubc.ca>

Dan confirmed that the Y connector would work. Dan and John pointed
out how the A cable was terminated (4 socketed 16-pin dips right next
to the cable socket, which I compeletely missed). Sid suggested an
"inline" connector on one of the existing A cables. I decided to pull
the terminator dips and try the Y connector; it is working fine.

Jeff offered to send me a spare 2344 manual. I took him up on the
offer, and the manual came in handy for confirming the switch settings
and cobbling up a format.dat entry. Thanks again, Jeff! (John also
offered a manual, but Jeff's offer arrived first.)

Here's the format.dat I am using:

disk_type = "Fujitsu-M2344K" \
        : ctlr = XD7053 \
        : ncyl = 622 : acyl = 2 : pcyl = 624 : nhead = 27 : nsect = 67 \
        : rpm = 3600 : bpt = 40960 : bps = 600



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Sep 28 2001 - 23:07:28 CDT