1 1/2" tape connection to rp5430

[Lacrosse]

What do I need to do to hook a old 1 1/2" inch reel tape unit to a rp5430 is there a cable the will hook into the LVD interface on the 5430 it is a single ended device with a old centronix connection on the other end.
Do I need to buy another HBA?
if not do you know the model num of the cable I need any help would be much appreciated

[Brian M Rawlings · Accepted solution]

Nigel: To connect an old half-inch reel-to-reel tape drive to the RP54xx series is tough, but not impossible. If there is a cable that would do it all (VHD68 on the server end to LDBL50 ("centronix") on the tape drive, I don't know about it.

You might find such a cable in one of the catalogs (black box, inc.; inmac; those sorts of places). They ordinarily have a bunch of cables, with specialty ends.

If not, I would suggest the following. Most RP54xx have an external chassis (smart storage, or TA5300) for a DAT tape or Ultrium drive, which is already connected to the internal SCSI bus.

IF you have this, and IF the DAT drive is a DDS3 (NOT DAT40/DDS4), what you will have is a HD68 terminator (multimode LVD/SE) on the back of the chassis. You could connect a HD68-to-LDBL50 cable onto the external chassis, since the DAT3 is running in SE mode, and run your 1/2 inch drive off that SCSI bus. One cable to do this would be the C2915A (or 5063-1214 from spare parts at 800-227-8164).

Unfortunately, this cable is only 1 meter long, and you need more length for the tape drive, since it slides out for service. So, you would add a C2900A (8120-5519 from spare parts), which is a 3m LDBL50/LDBL50 M/F extender cable. Careful with this, as the total SE SCSI bus length must not exceed 5m total.

The alternative would involve a part not available from HP (the Female/Female adapter), but which can be ordered from specialty houses or found at a cable company if you are in a big city. You would use the C2915A and a C2362B 2.5m VHD68-to-HD68 cable, and put the F/F adapter between the HD68 ends. You would end up with LDBL50 (centronix) on the tape drive end, and VHD68 on the server end. Then I would suggest adding the A5149A single-port LVD/SE ultraSCSI card, which has a VHD68 port.

This last one is probably your ideal scheme, all from HP except the female-to-female converter. But, when you find that, you may find just the exact VHD68-LDBL50 cable at the same place, and that would be even better.

Hope it helps! --bmr