DEC DSP5200


1.0 Introduction

This is basically just all the usefull information that I've found on this drive. If you own one of these drives and have ever needed info on it, you probably have found out that there is very little of help on the Internet. In my recent search, I had got someone from DEC to help me out: he sent me a copy of the "DSP5200 Engineering Specification". If you would like a complete copy of this document (all 172 pages of it), please drop me a note and I'll email you the PDF. Otherwise, you should find a usefull summary of that document here. From what I hear, the RZ73 is the same as the DSP5200. This is unconfirmed, but at least the jumper settings are known to be the same.

1.1 Parts Request

Please, if you have one of these drives that has bad media only, send it to me! (Or at least just the logic board!) The one I have is dead with what appears to be logic failure (but could also be a failure in the stepper motor system). The steppers attempt to push the head assembly past the magnetic bumper, so the motors strain and sit there and click! I know the media is good on this drive, though.

2.0 Remote Panel Connector

The Remote Power Connector (RPC) is Digital's name for the jumper terminals. It's labeled J3 and exists between the 50-pin SCSI-2 connector and the power connector, but in front of the termination fuse.

2.1 RPC Diagram

PinSignalPinSignal
1ID_0 L2LOGIC_GND L
3ID_1 L4LOGIC_GND L
5ID_2 L6LOGIC_GND L
7FLT_SINK L8FLT_CATH L
9BSY SINK L10BSY_CATH L
11+5.0V12AC_LOW L
13Delay Spin14LOGIC_GND L
15SCSI_TERMPWR16TermPwr
17BOARD_TERMPWR18TermPwr
19+12.0V20Flash Vpp

2.2 RPC Signal Descriptions

The following are quoted from section 10.1 of the Engineering Specification.

2.2.1 ID_0, ID_1, and ID_2 Signals

The ID_0 through ID_2 signals set the SCSI Bus ID number, which is the ID number by which the drive is known to the host adapter on the SCSI Bus. The drive will accept ID numbers from 0 through 7, inclusive. Selection is made by setting a binary code with ID_0 as the LSB and ID_2 as the MSB bit. The ID bits may be controlled by either installing jumpers into the RPC or by connecting a panel with switches. The jumpers should only be installed across pins 1 and 2, 3 and 4, or 5 and 6. If a jumper is installed or a switch to ground is closed, then the corresponding bit will be a one. If the signal is left open, then the bit will be a zero.

2.2.2 FLT_SINK and FLT_CATH Signals

Placing a jumper between FLT_SINK and FLT_CATH enables the on­board FLT indicator LED. If there is no jumper between FLT_SINK and FLT_CATH the on­board FLT LED is disabled. The FLT_SINK signal can be hooked up to a cable to sink an external LED connected to 5.0V provided that an external current­limiting resistor is provided. In this configuration there should be nothing hooked up to FLT_CATH.

2.2.3 BSY_SINK and BSY_CATH Signals

Placing a jumper between BSY_SINK and BSY_CATH enables the on­board BSY indicator LED. If there is no jumper between BSY_SINK and BSY_CATH the on­board BSY LED is disabled. The BSY_SINK signal can be hooked up to a cable to sink an external LED connected to 5.0V provided that an external current­limiting resistor is provided. In this configuration there should be nothing hooked up to BSY_CATH.

2.2.4 Delay Spin Signal

Placing a jumper between Delay Spin and LOGIC_GND enables the drive to spin up when DC power is applied. A START STOP UNIT command from the host is the only thing that will cause the drive to spin up if the jumper is not in place. This jumper comes installed from manu­facturing by default. The drive will spin down when power is removed. The drive may also spin down when a seri­ous drive fault condition is detected. The drive will not spin down otherwise.

2.2.5 TermPwr, SCSI_TERMPWR and BOARD_TERMPWR Signals

A jumper placed between SCSI_TERMPWR and TermPwr will supply the on­board resistors (if installed) with power from the SCSI bus. If a jumper is placed between BOARD_TERMPWR and TermPwr, the drive's +5V will supply the on­board terminators. If jumpers are placed both between SCSI_TERMPWR and TermPwr and BOARD_TERMPWR and TermPwr the drive will supply the SCSI bus with terminator power and supply the on­board resistors (if installed) with power.

2.2.6 AC_LOW Signal

The AC_LOW signal permits the system to warn the drive of an AC power failure. This signal should be taken to a logic LOW to indicate AC failure. This signal should be a logic HIGH or open circuit for normal drive operation.

2.2.7 Remote Panel Electrical Characteristics

All signals in the Remote Panel Connector are active LOW. The 5.0V signals of two or more drives should not be connected together or to any other current source through the RPC connector. Similarly, the LOGIC_GND signals of two or more drives should not be connected together or to system ground through the RPC connector.

2.2.8 Flash EPROM Programming Enable

Placing a jumper between +12.0V and Flash V pp enables the drive to allow Flash EPROM re­programming from the host over the SCSI bus. If there is no jumper, programming access is not allowed and any attempted accesses will leave the Flash EPROM unaffected. At all other times this jumper's installation is optional. It has no effect on normal drive operation.

3.0 Status LEDs

The drive provides facilities for displaying the current BSY (busy) and FLT (fault) status of the drive. These facilies are turned on or off with the BSY_SINK/CATH and FLT_SINK/CATH connectors. There are three conditions for these jumpers:

  1. Jumpers are in place (turning the surface-mount LEDs on)
  2. Jumpers are replaced with an external LED with resistor (turning on-board LEDs off)
  3. Jumpers are removed completely (turning on-board LEDs off) [not recommended]

Please note that all three conditions exsist idividually for each indicator and do not affect each other (e.i., you can have an external BSY LED, but use the on-board FLT LED).

3.1 BSY Indicator

If you're using the on-board LEDs, this is the GREEN one. The BSY indicator lights to signify that the drive is working on a SCSI command. This indictor being off indicates that the drive is not working on a SCSI command.

3.2 FLT Indicator

If you're using the on-board LEDs, this is the AMBER/ORANGE one. Any other time than startup and calibrations, this light being on is BAD! It probably mean that there is a failure in one of the mechanical systems, either the spindle motor or the stepper/head arm motors.

3.3 Indicator Behavior

At the application of power, both the BSY and the FLT indicators light briefly as a hardware and lamp test. If the BSY indictor is on and the FLT indictor flashes, then this indicates that the drive is performing calibrations. These calibrations only occur after a module and an HDA are mated for the first time.

4.0 Specifications

These are the specifications for the DSP5200 drive, as I can derive them from this book. If you're a maintainer of a hard drive information web site, please update your records for this drive.

4.1 General Specifications

4.2 Physical Characteristics

4.3 Performance


Adam Fritzler
Last modified: Sat Dec 20 01:04:42 MST 1997