Aside from the FAQ, we here at Frankeni.com would like to share
some letters our readers have sent in. We call this segment, "Ask
Dr. Franken"
If you would like to ask a question of the good Dr., you can submit your question using our comment & question form. When we accept your submission (and really, why wouldn't we?) you will see it posted on this page.
Dear Dr. Franken,
I have a need to connect a 30GB QIC tape drive to my 720 temporarily in order to migrate data to my new i5 which came with that tape drive. I pulled my 8MM drive out but the connector is different so the QIC drive won't fit in the tray. Help!
-Tape deprived in Texas.
Dear Texas,
You are in luck. Since you have pulled out the 8MM drive you have made SCSI address 0 available. You now need three things to complete your mission. First you need a PC or PC power supply to provide power to the tape drive. Now you can also extend the power from inside the 720 but have you taken that side off? It's like 25 screws! The second thing you need to do is remove the front plastic cover and then the small metal plate in the upper left corner. Behind that you'll find a SCSI port. The third thing is a short Male to Make SCSI cable to connect from the tape drive to the exposed ScSI port. (Of course you did all this with the power off yes?) Now IPL the machine and you should have a QIC drive to use. You will certainly want this to be a temporary solution but it should work just marvelously.
- DrFranken
Dear Dr. Franken,
I souped up my system to include twice as much memory as the book says and my system comes up and all the memory is recognized. However the system seems slow and shows an A9001760 in the front panel. Whats up with that?
- Memorized in Missouri.
Dear Memorized,
Well it turns out that when you break some rules it will cost you in other ways. The memory limit is one of those. The A9001760 strictly says that you need to reclaim main storage. Of course there isn't a RCLMAINSTG command and in fact the only way to do that is to IPL. When you do THAT you'll end up with this SRC again anyway. What is really happening is the extra memory has been recognized but in order to deal with it (as well as to enforce the limit IBM has set for your model) IBM has cut the clock speed of your machine in half. So while you not have a lot more memory you have only half the CPW to use it. You may want to re-think this amount of memory in your machine.
- DrFranken
Dear Dr. Franken,
I tried to install a second RAID card in my model 170. I put it into an open high speed slot but it didn't come up. I tried some other arrangements and have even caused the IOP to fail. What have I done wrong?
-No I/O In Iowa
Dear Iowa,
Yes you can add more than one RAID card into a 170 but some cards don't play well together. DrFranken has tried just about every possible combination of high speed cards in the high speed slots. While we at Frankeni.com break rules daily (showemourmotto!) Here are the rules that you must not break: 1) Do not put a RAID card and a 2729 external tape card on the same IOP. Just don't. 2) Don't put two RAID cards on the same IOP. Here the first one works and the second one is just dead. 3) You MAY combine a RAID card and a 2838 Ethernet card on the same IOP with reliable results.
Good Luck Frankenizing your machine!
- DrFranken
Dear Dr. Franken,
HI
If i wanted to add more drives to my 170 what cage would I need to do it like you did to Frankie I currently have 2 8.58 mirrored drives and 6 4.19 drives in the Expansion cage. Thanks Also what power supply to run all these?
TIM
Dear Tim,
Good question. You can find much of the information in the FrankenFAQ See FAQ #1 especially.
What we did was pull cages from 620 and 720 machines that were going scrap. Then we swiped any PC power supply as a 200 watt supply will drive one cage and a fan. A 300 will drive a pair. As long as we were grabbing parts from the 620 the power cable to the drive and fan are a nice and easy thing to grab and don't forget the SCSI cable.
The 'big honkin fans' are also from a 620 or 720 internal cooling setup. They want 24 volts but at 12 the move plenty of air for a cage like that. At 24 volts they're a tad, well, they're just flat LOUD!
I took the fans and using 3" lengths of 1" PVC pipe and some ty-wraps (plastic zip ties) secured the fan to the front door of the cage. I then took a manila folder and used that for the fan shroud. They work out pretty good if you start with the flat side and then press against the fan, mark and cut.
The front cover and fan assembly is held to the cage with big black paper binder clips. (Admittedly not an IBM Stock item.) Then we simply hooked the SCSI cable to the third port on a FC #2726, 2748, or 2741 and the system will see those drives.
When you get it all done, send us pics and we'll post them in the FrankenGallery!
If you're interested or don't have a source I have lots of cages and power wires and even a SCSI cable or two. $20 for a cage, cover, and cables (Plus a few dollars freight.)
- Dr. F
Dear Dr. Franken,
HI
Thanks for all your help
I have a model 170 and I need to connect a 8MM tape drive through the External Tape card is it a 2729 card? I bought a exabyte drive on ebay for 20 bucks 50 pin scsi. the exabyte is a 7802-222 type The Ibm business partner says it won't work it has to be a true IBM Drive because of the microcode. I thought I could just hook it up with a 50 pin to 68 pin adapter and the 170 should configure it.
Again you guys are great!!!!
-- TAPELESS
Dear Tapeless,
Yep the FC #2729 is your guy. If you need one I got several of them cheap. Like $10 eh!
You BP is however correct. If it doesn't have Micorocode in it that OS/400 recognizes it won't work. The 170 will see it electircally and it's possible that in Service Tools you may see some device but it won't work without reporting the proper ID to OS/400.
SorryAboutThatChief!
-DrFranken.
