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Well, I found the problem with the IBM DCRA-22160 hard drive. IBM changed the definition of the drive select jumpers so the strapping configuration which would normally select the drive as MASTER on other drives (Toshiba MK1301MAV, IBM DPRA-21250, IBM DBOA-2720, etc) actually selects SLAVE on IBM DCRA-22160. To select MASTER on the IBM DCRA-22160, no straps must appear on pins 47 through 50! If you look at the drive from the back with logic board down the pins are numbered as follows: 43 41 ... ... ... 3 1 (GAP) 49 47 44 42 ... ... ... 4 2 (GAP) 50 48 On most drives strapping pins 47 and 48 together will select MASTER (drive 0) configuration. On the IBM DCRA-22160 drive strapping pins 47 and 48 together selects the SLAVE (drive 1) configuration. The symptoms are the drive spins up, HD light remains lighted for about a minute at power on, TP diagnostics find no drive, TP low level format routine finds no drive, and Road Warrior's IDEINFO.EXE program says there is no drive 0 -- only drive 1: >IDE/AT Drive Identify Program 1.0 >(c) Copyright 1991 by Thomas J. Newman >All Rights Reserved. > >The System BIOS reported 0 hard drive(s). >A scan of the hardware found 1 IDE/AT hard drive(s). > >*** Warning: Only one drive found and it's addressed as Drive 1. >Drive 1 Information > > Cylinders........... 4200 > Heads............... 16 > Sectors per track... 63 > Bytes per track..... 0 > Bytes per sector.... 0 > Buffer Size......... 96 Kb > ECC bytes........... 4 > > Model Number........ IBM-DCRA-22160 > Firmware Revision... A81AD0 > Serial Number....... A30A3A23226 > > Drive capacity...... 51 Mb A quick check at http://www.storage.ibm.com/techsup/hddtech/dcra and http://www.storage.ibm.com/techsup/hddtech/dpra clearly shows a difference in the strapping options. Moreover, inspection of the strapping map provided on the drive housing also shows there is a difference in definition of strapping pins 47 and 48. My quick fix was just to bend pin 48 flat so it would not make a contact with any other pins or with the ribbon cable connector. Now the drive is visible to the TP750Cs and all the configuration parameters seem to be OK. The physical configuration is: 16 Heads, 4200 Cylinders, 63 Sectors The logical configuration is: 128 Heads, 524 Cylinders, 63 Sectors The drive passes all of the usual TP750Cs HD diagnostics, NDD, SYSINFO, and NDIAGS tests. So, everything seems to be OK now. QUESTION: Are there no standards for strapping configuration of 2.5 inch IDE/EIDE disk drives? QUESTION: Why would IBM suddenly change the strapping options on the DCRA-22160 drive to be different from earlier drives? SUGGESTION: If you install a drive, it spins up ok, but there is no apparent contact with the drive logic ... maybe it might be worthwhile getting IDEINFO.EXE from http://www.warrior.com, checking for SLAVE rather than MASTER configuration, checking the strapping options on the drive label or at manufacturer's documentation site, and possibly changing the strapping option -- most likely by bending a pin or two. SUGGESTION: It would be nice if systems which can hold only one drive were to accept either MASTER or SLAVE as correct HD config. This would seem to be a simple firmware/bios/system program fix. An even smarter option would be to use CABLE select (strap pins 48 and 50 together and use logic level on pin 28 to config drive). So far, strapping pins 48 and 50 together requests cable select. PROBLEM: I ran the low level format routine for six hours and it never terminated. Maybe I didn't format the entire drive or this program may not be approrpiate for formatting DCRA-22160 drives. Alexander J. Annala, Ph.D. LMP/Pharmacology Department University College London Gower Street London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom >Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1997 02:41:15 +0000 >From: "Alexander J. Annala" <a.annala@ucl.ac.uk> >To: thinkpad@CS.UTK.EDU >Subject: TP750Cs vs. IBM DCRA-22160 (2.1 GB HD) >Message-Id: <199702250241.VAA19851@CS.UTK.EDU> > >I had no problem putting an IBM DPRA-21250 (1.2 GB HD) into >my TP750Cs (with SYTPS142.EXE system program [bios] upgrade). >I also had no problem with a Toshiba MK-1301MAV 1.3 GB drive. > >However, I can't get my system to recognize an IBM DCRA-22160 >is even attached to the system. After turning on the power, >the TP750Cs HD LED stays continuously lighted. > >Is the DCRA-22160 defective? Can a TP750Cs access 2.1 GB HD? > >Thanks, AJ Annala, Pharmacology, University College London >