Surestore Autoloader 24x6e - Drive replacement?

[A.M. Vlutters]

We have a C1557A 24x6 Autoloader which contains a C1537 Tapedrive which does not work properly anymore (inventory returns random 'bad media'). The unit is out of maintainance, and we have some spare C1555 tapeunits lying around. Can we replace the tapedrive in the autoloader by a C1555 tapedrive? Hardware connections seem ok, but when started the error "Drive comms failed" is given in the loader screen. Anyone ever tried something like this?

[Eugeny Brychkov]

Although drives can be the same, firmware image might me different. I suspect that you can replace drive from another autoloader only.
You should not be able to download autoloader firmware to the standalone drive, but you can try with LTT http://h18006.www1.hp.com/products/storageworks/ltt/index.html
BTW, did you check if drive is the cause of autoloader's problems? Maybe robot, not drive?
Eugeny

[madoc]

firmware is different and is not easy to 'swap' over. It requires a roll back to manufacturing code and then the appropiate autoloader code. The manufacturing code is not something we generally issue.

The mechanisms are also slightly different. I think it's a C1537-04000 mechanism in the loader. Unsurprisingly, we don't sell this mechanism and I don't have one here that I can give you