Re: DEC Alpha XL 366 and IDE hard drive
On Sun, 20 Jul 2003, Jean-Sébastien Guay wrote:
> I have an Alpha XL 366 machine, which has a 2GB SCSI hard drive. I
> thought I read somewhere that most Alpha systems had IDE as well as SCSI
> interfaces. I was thinking of adding a 6.4GB IDE drive that I have lying
> around. I opened the machine, and after lots of disassembling risers and
> stuff, I couldn't find the IDE connectors. Does this model not have an
> IDE controller?
Yea, the XL-366 does not have an IDE interface, only fast-narrow
SCSI. I think only the 500MHz 21164A type machines and better had IDE
interfaces (save for the Multia with its laptop style IDE interface).
> If not, will any PCI IDE controller I install into it
> work? Or am I better trying to find a used SCSI drive to add as a
> secondary? If so, which kind of driveswill work with the SCSI controller
> that's in the machine?
I do not know if a IDE controller would work in this system,
depends if it can handle its BIOS not being run (correctly). I have never
tried it, and alway stuck with SCSI. Any SCSI disk with a standard 50pin
(narrow) connector will work. I often put in an ultra controller in the
one of the PCI slots for faster disks, and only boot (milo+kernel) off a
small disk on the onboard controller.
Have fund with your alpha. TTYL.
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| "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." |
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| Ryan Kirkpatrick | Boulder, Colorado | http://www.rkirkpat.net/ |
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