Nekochan Net

I'm wondering if one could solder a more conventional scsi connector to those pads ? The one SGI used is very difficult to find ...

It's a total PITA. If the cable dies (which can happen), finding a replacement is tricky.

Ian.

There might be other alternatives to soldering. I've got a two-drop SCSI cable out of an IBM server that has what appears to be the same connector on one end <the other two connectors are the the standard 68-pin internal SCSI type>. The fuel-type end connected to the three drive hot-swap SCSI backplane in an IBM xSeries server. The FRU on the cable is 06P5849 - I googled up a few references, including this one on IBM's site <scroll down to the 'cable' section>: http://www-947.ibm.com/systems/support/ ... nd=5000020 That document is for an xSeries 205 - the ones I had <I think I've still got one or two in storage> were xSeries 220s, so the part might be used in more than one application <*and* be at least slightly more common than the Fuel part>.

The connector on the IBM backplane uses clips to secure the cable connection, but that shouldn't affect the connector on the cable. Here's a photo of the connector on the IBM backplane for comparison to the connector in jan-jaap's photo: and here's a shot of either end of the IBM cable <it's 25.5 inches long>: hamei - here's the same cable on taobao.com <for 20 RMB? my Chinese isn't functional, but that's about 3 bux ain't it?>: http://item.taobao.com/auction/item_det ... html?pm1=2

and it looks like one <along with a SCSI controller> sold on French eBay.be for 7.50 euros: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %26fvi%3D1

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Hmm, reminds me of the connectors on the Indigo2 SCSI backplane, but surely they can't be the same, that would be too easy...

Ian.

It's fairly straightforward to make cables like this, the connectors are IDC - Insulation Displacement - you just clamp the connector over the ribbon cable and it makes all the connections itself. But figure at least $7.00 per connector, plus the ribbon costs, so it's not usually cheap. I used to make my own custom SCSI cables just to get the lengths/connector spacing right.

What makes then somewhat difficult to source is the planar end of the Fuel cable uses the relatively uncommon female 68-pin micro-centronics connector. It should be available in IDC format <SGI and IBM had to get them somewhere>. Do you have a source that offers low-volume purchases?

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http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSea ... =A97696-ND

Isn't this it? ~$6, hundreds of them in stock.

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<--challenge S

That looks like the one. Thanks!

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Very kewl, wreck ! I don't even have to go that far, have an x350 about eight feet away

Being able to make them ourselves sounds even better tho. I always hate the clutter of a standard cable inside the computer. A nice short cable with three connectors and a terminator would be great.

So much for the stock SGI $ 500 cable

That's exactly how that works, yes. I received a naked Tezro once, the thing looks like a big pile of sheetmetal without the skins on (arguably, it is )

Yes, while we all love to say how sexy the sgi hardware is, they are much more attractive in their plastic suits than bare-assed naked

IMO, of course.

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(Maradona) (DavidVilla) A1186 (Xavi)
A1370 (Messi) dp43tf (Puyol) A1387 (Abidal) A1408 (Guardiola)

"InfiniteReality Graphics - Power Through Complexity"

Depends on if you're a robot or not...

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<> x2+ x3 x2 x2+ x2 x3 x2+

Once you step up to the big iron, you learn all about physics, electrical standards, and first aid - usually all in the same day

Hehe, how that contrasts with a typical beach babe.

Ian.

The party piece of the Fuel:


Turbo Air!

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Now this is a deep dark secret, so everybody keep it quiet
It turns out that when reset, the WD33C93 defaults to a SCSI ID of 0, and it was simpler to leave it that way... -- Dave Olson, in comp.sys.sgi
Currently in commercial service: (2x)
In the museum: almost every MIPS/IRIX system.
Wanted: GM1 board for Professional Series GT graphics (030-0076-003, 030-0076-004)

Sweet stuff

/Jonas

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Old polygon wrangler
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