SCSI questions - adding HD to printer

[XeonTux]

I guess this is a question of how backwards-compatible SCSI drives are.

I have a Tektronics Phaser 350 with a 50-pin SCSI-2 micro-connector. I'm looking for an external SCSI drive on eGay, prob around the $20 range... 1, 2, 4GB or so.

I see a number of 68-pin drives with decent enclosures in my price range. Should I be able to use an 68-to-50-pin adapter or cable to hook the drive up to the printer?

If anyone knows what the largest size hard drive this printer can utilize, let me know. I can't find this anywhere. I know you can hook up to 7 drives up to it (gasp!) and the sizes that Tektronix sold were 1GB and 2GB. I'm eying a new 2GB 68-pin drive right now, looks like the seller has a bunch of them pretty cheap.



I am also looking for somewhere I can get colorstix ink without spending an arm and a leg! I cant play with my new toy without

 

[Peter]

Well normally you'd use a 50-to-68 adapter cable or plug, and don't forget to put a 68-pin
terminator right on the drive enclosure's other connector.

These 50-to-68 adapters must contain termination (on the 68-pin end) for the signals that go
unused on the 50-pin side. Ask for that. Some vendors go cheap and omit this.

Tektronix might have restricted their SCSI handlers to certain "validated" drive makes and models,
hindering your freedom of choice. Let us know how it goes.

regards, Peter

 

[bozo1]

Don't know what size that printer will support, but...

Just get an external drive and the proper cable. AVOID an adapter if you can. Get a cable with the proper 50-pin connector (there were 2 50-pin standards, a centronics style and a HD style) on one end to hook up to your printer, a 68-pin connector to plug into your external chassis. You also will need a 68-pin active terminator to plug into the 'spare' port on the external chassis.

Make sure you can get ahold of the Tektronix software to set up the drive and all that. I've never added an external one to a Tektronix printer, but I've replaced the internal ones before and the software is always the worst part.

 

[XeonTux]

I think I'll be ok with a non-tektronix drive... there is not much info on this subject, but the Xerox site says the hard drive just needs to support the full SCSI-2 command set

The drives I am eying are these, the seller seems to have a bunch on eGay. Brand new and a decent looking case for $20. I am assuming, because I haven't asked yet, that the included cable is 68-pin on both ends. Interestingly, this external chasis does not have the "spare port". Hmm...

Anyone know of a cheap place to get cables with high-density 50-pin male to high-density 68-pin male?

 

[Peter]

When purchasing cable or adapter, mind what I said above about the semi-termination.

And ask whether these drives can be configured to terminate their end internally, since they obviously don't have the 2nd SCSI connector required for an external terminator.

regards, Peter