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IBM PS/2 model 50 (8550) hard drive options

offensive_Jerk

offensive_Jerk

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I received an IBM PS/2 model 50 (8550) without a hard drive.

I have three other untested ESDI IBM manufactured hard drives that I thought would work with the DBA connector.

However, I plugged the drive into the MCA hard and the computer didn't boot. I came to find out that the connectors must be incompatible as the DBA connectors on the drives I have are smaller than the connector on the MCA card. The MCA controller has this number on it 6127873b.

1. Is there any type of adapter to adapt these smaller sized DBA connectors to one that would work on the MCA controller in the PS/2?

2. Failing that, is there a different MCA hard drive controller that would work for the PS/2 that would accept these drives with the smaller DBA connector?

3. Or, is getting a SCSI card a solution if neither of those options work?

It's a shame I don't know for sure if these hard drives I have work.

16654070425_4ce8014ca0_h.jpg
 
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I can send you a drive for the price of shipping but I have not tested any of them in almost ten years. At least when I put them away they worked.
 
Bump. Anyone know which type of hard drive I need? I keep getting drives that have connectors that are either too big or too small. I have a box full of drives that are useless to this computer.
 
offensive_Jerk said:
I have three other untested ESDI IBM manufactured hard drives that I thought would work with the DBA connector.
Click to expand...
All of the ones you have the IBM proprietary 44 pins connectors.?
If you are interested in selling I'm looking for one.
 
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Trixter said:
Nor homebrew interfaces that work with microchannel.

Every time I have the urge to rescue a microchannel system, "what will I do for storage?" prevents me from doing so.
Click to expand...

The later Microchannel PS/2s used SCSI, and eventually IDE.
 
Trixter said:
Nor homebrew interfaces that work with microchannel.

Every time I have the urge to rescue a microchannel system, "what will I do for storage?" prevents me from doing so.
Click to expand...

What all would be involved in creating a microchannel card? Just wondering if there's any reasonable way to port the XT-IDE design over to the MC bus...?

Wesley
 
Hopefully you get a drive sorted. I think the reason the ESDI drives don't fit is because the Model 50 used a "direct bus attachment".
Well that's how I remember it, no references, just what my head is telling me.

Hopefully you find a matching drive - I suspect that'll be a lot cheaper than MCA SCSI.
 
offensive_Jerk said:
Bump. Anyone know which type of hard drive I need? I keep getting drives that have connectors that are either too big or too small. I have a box full of drives that are useless to this computer.
Click to expand...

I thought you said the drive I mailed you last year worked??? I swear we compared the interface width to my drives and determined I had the proper drive for you before I packaged it and mailed it out. If that wasn't the case you could of PM'd me back about it. :p
 
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NeXT said:
I thought you said the drive I mailed you last year worked??? I swear we compared the interface width to my drives and determined I had the proper drive for you before I packaged it and mailed it out. If that wasn't the case you could of PM'd me back about it. :p
Click to expand...

No, I thought they would work but they were too small by like two pins. I didn't email you back about it because it wasn't your fault, and there's not really much you could have done. You gave me the drives free for the price of shipping, so I wasn't going to ask for a refund or anything.

Here's some more pics.

24508826800_2b8d63fef1_z.jpg24686517462_66f749a4e6_z.jpg24686517462_e8ca3c075c_k.jpg
 
60MB WD-387
IBM P/N: 33F5703
IBM FRU: 90X8627

Its a Microchannel DBA hard drive. You appear to have a different controller in your machine, one with actual electronics on it. The DBA "adapter" is a passive card that goes in MCA slot #4 in 50Z machines. If you have a 50 (no Z), you need the below adapter to use this drive.

mod50esdiraiser_full.jpeg
 
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njroadfan said:
60MB WD-387
IBM P/N: 33F5703
IBM FRU: 90X8627

Its a Microchannel DBA hard drive. You appear to have a different controller in your machine, one with actual electronics on it. The DBA "adapter" is a passive card that goes in MCA slot #4 in 50Z machines. If you have a 50 (no Z), you need the below adapter to use this drive.

mod50esdiraiser_full.jpeg
Click to expand...

OK, so maybe If I buy a card like that, I can use the drives I have.
This is the card that I have.

ibm.jpg

I have no idea which controller I have or which type of drive I need. I think i'd be better off getting the other controller card.
 
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