Help needed to identify connector/interface

[nettdata]

Hi all-

I've recently purchased a Sparc laptop (Tadpole UltraBookIIi) and it didn't come with any drives, just the drive bay caddies.

Problem is that I don't know what kind of adapter/connector I need for my 2.5" laptop EIDE drive in order for it to work. I've taken it to 2 "techie" shops and they're clueless.

I've called Tadpole, and they say that they don't sell the single part, but I can buy the 20GB drive complete with the required adaptor/assembly for $1,100. The 30GB drive is a mere $1,900. Damn.


This is the internal connector:

This is your typical EIDE 2.5" laptop drive connector:

Anyone have any info for me? I've spent an hour searching and am absolutely no closer to finding an answer!

Thanks in advance...


...jeff

 

[nettdata]

Oh... if it helps, this is a circa 2001 laptop.

 

[sdemerch]

Interesting question. According to the manual ( http://www.rdi.com/html/support/manuals/ ) you have 3 drive bays (2 with Creator graphics). Are all 3 bays empty with this odd connector?

 

[linux_0]

Well.... it appears to be a 40pin connector + ground.

That's good and bad.

It's good because it is easier to find something that fits but maybe a bit more complicated because it may be wired in a proprietary way and may be harder to find or build an adapter.

Normal laptop drives have a 44pin connector which is actually a 40pin IDE connector + power, etc

Since the connector on your sparc has 40pins you probably have the data pins covered but I'm not sure where they are getting power from.....

Can you please post more pics? Please post pics of all the bays and the entire laptop if possible, it may help ID what you need.

As long as a special adapter chip isn't required I could easily build you a connector for a LOT less than $1,100 if I can find out what the pinout is.... I'm ok with a soldering iron ;-)

Feel free to PM me if you wish.

 

[linux_0]

I found a couple of these on ebay along with PSUs so there is hope.

It should be possible to find a Sparc 40+1pin to 44pin IDE adapter or something like it.

 

[nettdata]

Thanks for the feedback.

I've done some serious searching, and even took the box apart, to find that it is using an AMP SCSI connector hardwired to the motherboard.

The difficulty is in figuring out how they wired the EIDE 40+4 pin to the single 40-pin SCSI connector, so that it's getting power, never mind the data channels.

Further discussions/pleading with Tadpole have resulted in the extremely nice lady in the tech support section fed/ex'ing me a "refurbished" adapter assembly at no cost. How great are they!?

She even pointed me to the Solaris 9/10 installation drivers/etc.


Looks like I might have this thing figured out soon!


I'll do what I can to document how this adapter works, etc., so that I can make another one.

FYI, there are 3 bays that use this adapter... one of them being the battery.

I could have 3 drives and no battery, or 2 drives and a battery.

I don't have the graphics card, and I don't see any special adapter or anything for it... so I would imagine that this computer isn't set up for that, or the graphics card uses the same scsi interface. Stranger things have happened.

 

[linux_0]

Hmm... that's strange SCSI is normally 25, 50, 68 or 80pin.

I wonder if the actual interface is something else...

I used to work with Sparcs and other proprietary RISC machines back in the day but I do not believe I ever got my paws on a Tadpole Sparc laptop.

My hardware storage area has some HP Unix workstations in it

For graphics I would think they would have had to use something even faster than SCSI [ available in 5/10/20/40/80/160/320MB /sec versions ]

I wonder if it is a proprietary bus connector that they can run SCSI, IDE or whatever over with a special bridge.

The only standard connector I am aware of that uses 40pins is standard PATA IDE.

FDD = 34pins

Serial = 9 pins + GND

Parallel = 25 pins + GND

VGA = 15 pins + GND

SUN VGA = 13 pins + GND IIRC

I know your laptop has an external SCSI connector so you should be able to connect any external SCSI devices to it, like HDDs, Tape drives, storage arrays, etc.

I believe that machine used to sell for over $15,000

 

[nettdata]

It's an AMP connector, as defined here:

http://catalog.tycoelectronics.com/TE/bin/TE.Connect?C=10165&M=FEAT&P=147381%2C2350&U=&LG=1&I=13&G=G&LBOX=74346


The protocol being used is definitely NOT scsi, but the connector itself was/is used for multiple applications, including SCSI, SCA2, Fibre Channel, etc.


In this case, I'm thinking that they're using it as SCA2 (Single Connect Architecture, version 2).

 

[nettdata]

Also, just in case you're curious, the laptop is still a current model being sold and supported by Tadpole.

The current "buy new" price is US $17,000.

Damn.


I talked to the sales guy, and asked why the prices were so high, and he said that the main client base for them is Government and Military, and is quite specialized (not every tom/dick/harry off the street is looking for one) so they have no need/desire to "adjust" their prices to something more sane.

I'm sure they also will sell you a $5,000 hammer if you ask them nice enough.

 

[linux_0]

Indeed and the funny thing is a COTS Linux or BSD laptop costing $499-$3000 could accomplish the same thing the Sparc is used for.

I love Unix and RISC however @ 17,000 I'll pass.

Semper Fi Linux on!

 

[nettdata]

Indeed and the funny thing is a COTS Linux or BSD laptop costing $499-$3000 could accomplish the same thing the Sparc is used for.

I love Unix and RISC however @ 17,000 I'll pass.

Semper Fi Linux on!

Actually, it can't. I work with E10k's and E15k's running financial apps and Oracle, and this laptop is binary compatible with those boxes.

I've yet to see a Linux or FreeBSD box be Solaris/Sparc compatible.

 

[linux_0]

hehe you're right ;-)

I should have phrased my statement better... let me clarify a bit

Linux Sparc can run SunOS and Solaris applications natively.

I believe Linux x86 can run Solaris x86 binaries.

Linux x86 can also run Solaris Sparc apps using a Sparc emulator.

Obviously if source code is available the apps can usually be ported over to Linux rather easily.

Linux already runs Oracle and other databases

Granted there are still some highly specialized applications which may not be that easy to port over, however in many cases there are open source or proprietary alternatives for Linux which do not have the price tag usually associated with proprietary Unix machines.

If it's RISC or Unix it's cool in my book however Linux and BSD have significant price/performance/TCO advantages over proprietary Unixes.