anand@amax.npac.syr.edu (Anand Rangachari) (03/03/89)
I am posting this request on behalf of a group in the Chemistry
department here who have a HP 9000 model 520 which is about 10 years old.
It currently has a 10 meg hard disk which they would like to increase
to 40 meg.
Could any one give pointers on where to search for suitable disk
drives for this machine?
R. Anand
Internet: anand@amax.npac.syr.edu
Bitnet: ranand@sunriserjn@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bob Niland) (03/05/89)
re: "I am posting this request on behalf of a group ... here who have a HP
9000 model 520 which is about 10 years old."
Can't be - shipments did not begin until 1983, so no Series 500 can be older
than 6 years and a month or two. However, it may seem older. As someone
else once put it "the only thing that depreciates faster than a computer is
fresh fruit". Granted, you probably have an early unit.
> It currently has a 10 meg hard disk which they would like to increase
> to 40 meg. Could any one give pointers on where to search for suitable disk
> drives for this machine?
The 520 was only ever offerred with a 10 or (later) a 20 Mbyte Segate HDA.
The implementation of the installation causes the disk (normally an ST-506
or -512, not sure which) to look like an HP CS/80 disk. My understanding is
that there is hardware and firmware in the 520 that is very drive-specific,
not to mention some assumptions in the host BASIC or HP-UX disk drivers.
At the time we switched from 10 to 20 Mbytes, 40 was considered, but not
implemented, in part due to extensive firmware and software changes that
might be needed. Chances are that if you install a disk larger than 20
Mbytes, it will not work.
I suggest using an external (HP-IB) drive. Ask your HP Sales Rep for a copy
of the Series 500 Support Matrix. Many of the disks supported on the 500
are available from HP's Remarketing Division or from HP equipment brokers at
reasonable prices. I suspect that a new disk is out of the price range you
had in mind.
Regards, Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland rjn@hpfcrjn.HP.COM 3404 East Harmony Road
[hplabs|hpu...!hpfcse]!rjn Ft Collins CO 80525-9599