Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips,comp.sys.intel (
More info?)
On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 16:27:28 -0500, Tony Hill <hilla_nospam_20@yahoo.ca>
wrote:
>On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 05:26:16 -0500, George Macdonald
><fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 03:42:01 -0500, Tony Hill <hilla_nospam_20@yahoo.ca>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>Funky power supplies are pretty much the norm for big OEMs, the trick
>>>with Dells is that they were physically identical to standard ATX
>>>supplies but where electrically different. Made it just too tempting
>>>for people to try swapping out the board or power supply with a
>>>standard one that just wouldn't work. With HPaq supplies, for
>>>example, they are still non-standard, but at least you KNOW that they
>>>are non-standard since they won't fit into an ATX connector without
>>>the use of a decently large hammer.
>>
>>So the HPaq connector has different keying for the connector? Is this
>>something that HP learned from Compaq? I remember the old proprietary
>>keyboard conectors that Compaq used to have - what a rip-off.
>
>Proprietary keyboard connector?! The only place I've ever seen one of
>those was a Packard Hell, where it has a special keyboard + mouse +
>speaker/mic connector all in one. All the Compaq and HP machines I've
>come across use plain old PS/2 (or sometimes USB) keyboards and mice.
>Mind you, I pretty much only deal with their commercial line, so I
>don't know what the deal is with the Presario systems.
Oops I just dated myself.... AGAIN! Way back, Compaq had a proprietary
keyboard connector - nothing else fit and there was no adapter - maybe
thats why people bought more than one??
I recall a Wyse 386 system we
got had a RJ-11 for the keyboard connector, just like their TTYs, but at
least they supplied an adapter with the system.
>> All the same
>>I'd have thought both Dell and HPaq would have the same wires with the same
>>power and ground connections... just in a different order. In that case a
>>Molex pin extractor, and a used standard connector for the case of HPaq,
>>would be all you'd need to rearrange things to the standard order.
>
>Of the HPaq commercial machines that I see (which is a direct
>descendant of the old Compaq Deskpro/Evo line), they use all pretty
>standard connectors except for the power connector. These are
>definitely non-standard. Actually the new ones use one non-standard
>connector for the main power but use the standard 4-pin secondary
>ATX12V connector (or at least I think it's standard, though I haven't
>checked the pin-out). It's not really such a big deal for these
>systems though since they're mostly small form factor systems where
>any other power supply just wouldn't physically fit in the case. In
>the case of the few minitowers we've got, they normally use the exact
>same motherboard as their corresponding SFF system, so they're kind of
>stuck with the non-standard power connector.
>
>A slightly more annoying problem with these machines is that a
>standard floppy drive usually will not work. Fortunately floppies are
>rarely used these days, but when they are needed, it's a bit of a PITA
>to have to get a specific HPaq (or Dell) part at the rather exorbitant
>prices they charge (~$40 US as I recall?)
So much for "industry standards" - makes DIY even more attractive.
--
Rgds, George Macdonald
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