IBM Docking Station II (model 2877) questions

[driven zen]

Hello:

I asked this question on the eCS Technical list so
decided to ask it here.

Is there any sort of an IDE controller built into the
IBM Docking Station II (model 2877)? I ask this because
I am under the impression that IDE_0 and IDE_1 (E)IDE
Controllers only handle one drive each since, although
an optical drive in the docking station is detected
during the boot process by rsj, it doesn't seem to be
accessible once the boot is finished if there is a hard
drive in the ultrabay or ultrabay2000 slot, e.g., main
hard drive installed normally, a second hard drive in
the UltraBay 2000 slot in my T43, and a DVD±RW drive in
the UltraBay 2000 slot in the docking station.

Please note that I disassembled the docking station to
an extent but decided to stop at the point of removing
the covers on screw heads attaching the top cover. I
did not see what I thought was a hard drive controller
chip under the bottom cover but could easily have not
recognized what was present.

Is there the capacity to manage two drives per disk
controller, i.e., four drives total based on the (E)IDE
controllers in a T30, T43, or T43p?

If so, is there a parameter needed for DANIATAP.FLT to
get a third drive in the docking station recognized?

TIA,

- Mark

Mark Henigan

[Zoltan]

I am also interested in all of the above.
I am also wondering if there is some sort of a tray to carry a 2.5
inch hard drive that could be plugged into Docking Station II.
Or, is there a hard drive for the Docking Station II?

[Peter Brown]

Hi

driven zen wrote:
> Hello:
>
> I asked this question on the eCS Technical list so
> decided to ask it here.
>
> Is there any sort of an IDE controller built into the
> IBM Docking Station II (model 2877)? I ask this because
> I am under the impression that IDE_0 and IDE_1 (E)IDE
> Controllers only handle one drive each since,

May be worth having a "Google" for tech specs for the device.

although
> an optical drive in the docking station is detected
> during the boot process by rsj, it doesn't seem to be
> accessible once the boot is finished

Is that because you have a standard RSJ install where the optical device
has been "grabbed" by RSJ at boot and will be "hidden" until you use RSJ
to attach it?

if there is a hard
> drive in the ultrabay or ultrabay2000 slot, e.g., main
> hard drive installed normally, a second hard drive in
> the UltraBay 2000 slot in my T43, and a DVD±RW drive in
> the UltraBay 2000 slot in the docking station.
>

I'm not that "up" on laptop accessories but have found that optical
drives in docking stations are often USB attached. Are you sure this is
an (S/P)ATA connected device?

Regards

Pete