IBM Exabyte HH CTS differential 8mm tape drive question
msg
of the Exabyte HH CTS 8mm tape drive made for IBM; I am not even sure it
it crosses to an Exabyte EXB-8205 or EXB-8505. Here are the label
descriptions:
CEI: 870113-263 MFG DATE: 96.07.09 FECODE: 88C-07Y0 32534-000
EECODE: 88E-0361 314297-000 PN: 87G4775 EC D46784
SUA: 784100-D12 SLDD: 784700-D06 DECK: 728070-A16
I have not found an authoritative online source that confirms which Exabyte
commercial model this may be (if any) - 'Google' hits only produce suspect
online retailer descriptions which for the most part all seem to be copied
from the same (possibly inaccurate) source material.
The terminator resistor packs have been removed. Can anyone supply the
values and types and socket placement (and if so, you probably have a
document which would also be very nice to get); if not, I suppose it
shouldn't be too hard to measure continuity from SIP socket pin to
SCSI connector pin and work out the term pwr and ground pins.
The drive is currently not connected to any bus; when it is powered up, it
executes a POST which exercises the loading arms and spins the drum for
a few seconds. The amber light (top) and the green I/O light (bottom)
remain light solid, and the eject button is inoperative. I have seen
similar behavior with a single-ended EXB-8500 when not terminated -- it
fails to handle tape transport (load, eject) and the LCD displays 'bus error';
this drive has no LCD display. Can anyone confirm if the observed behavior
for this (HH CTS) drive is normal when not connected to a driven differential
bus and terminated?
Can anyone recommend an easily-obtained HVD terminator (50-pin)? I'd prefer
to avoid building one if they can be had quick and cheap.
Thanks,
Michael
msg
> I have not found online documentation regarding configuration or operation
> of the Exabyte HH CTS 8mm tape drive made for IBM; I am not even sure it
> it crosses to an Exabyte EXB-8205 or EXB-8505. Here are the label
> descriptions:
>
> CEI: 870113-263 MFG DATE: 96.07.09 FECODE: 88C-07Y0 32534-000
> EECODE: 88E-0361 314297-000 PN: 87G4775 EC D46784
> SUA: 784100-D12 SLDD: 784700-D06 DECK: 728070-A16
Amendment to above description: previous owner must have juggled
the innards; no SLDD, but instead SLDS: 784300-F14
So it would be a single-ended interface, if it worked, which is doesn't
(bus is dead). My questions regarding the differential version remain
however and I'd appreciate any replies.
ekb...@vnet.ibm.com
> msg wrote:
> > of the Exabyte HH CTS 8mm tape drive made for IBM; I am not even sure it
> > it crosses to an Exabyte EXB-8205 or EXB-8505.
IBM P/N 87G4775 is the internal drive found in the IBM 7208-234, so it
would have the capabilities of an EXB-8505 and it accepts the extra-
long 8MM tape cartridges (nominally 7GB maximum capacity instead of
5GB). The typical configuration of this drive would be two of them in
an external case, and it was typically used with an AS/400 system (it
could also be used with an RS/6000, but the RS/6000 would use it as an
"Other" type tape drive, it doesn't have the right firmware to be
recognized as an RS/6000 "native device"). I don't have the books for
it, I avoided HVD SCSI devices as I would the plague.
Rick Ekblaw