PowerBook 170 SCSI disk mode not working

#1 Thu, 22 Jan 2015 - 20:53 68kMLA

I am testing a PB 170 which has a bad hard disk drive. I connected the HD-30 SCSI dock adapter to it, but at startup it won't enter SCSI disk mode, instead it just stays at the blinking insert disk icon.

I tried the same cable setup with the PB 160 and 170, and they both work flawlessly. Is the PB 170 too old to support this SCSI disk mode or is something else wrong?

I am connecting it to the Power Mac G3 Beige.

Any ideas?

#2 Fri, 23 Jan 2015 - 00:06 68kMLA

That sounds vaguely familiar, like only the PB100 supported it (of the very first Powerbooks). But it's been a couple of decades since I dealt with that so my memory's hazy.

#3 Fri, 23 Jan 2015 - 02:45 68kMLA

I meant the PB 160 and 165... typo.

#4 Fri, 23 Jan 2015 - 04:32 68kMLA

A little searching: http://lowendmac.com/1991/powerbook-170/ (scroll down)

The PowerBook 170 does not support SCSI Disk Mode.

#5 Fri, 23 Jan 2015 - 22:49 68kMLA

Thanks. So apparently my PB 170 is just fine. I always thought that every 1xx PB supported SCSI disk mode...

#6 Sat, 24 Jan 2015 - 10:45 68kMLA

Remember, the PB 170 is IDE internally for the HD, the only one in the entire line until the 190 series, hence its impossible to have a SCSI mode when there is no SCSI disk of which to speak.

#7 Sat, 24 Jan 2015 - 15:43 68kMLA

Umm... that would be the PB150.

#8 Sat, 24 Jan 2015 - 19:18 68kMLA

My bad, got my PB 1xx's screwed up

#9 Sat, 24 Jan 2015 - 21:01 68kMLA

Yea, it happens

#10 Sat, 24 Jan 2015 - 22:42 68kMLA

Is there any known reason why the 170 doesn't support SCSI Disk Mode? Is it just a quirk of the hardware?

#11 Sat, 24 Jan 2015 - 23:06 68kMLA

I dont know entirely.

I do know that the HDI cable has a pin in the corner that tells the machine to go into SCSI disk mode, and it has to be supported by the ROM.

My guess is ROM. they probably omitted it in the ROM, so it doesnt work. All the PB1XX motherboards with the exception of the 100, and 190, appear to be the same, all except for the CPU cards which are slightly different between models especially the color models.

#12 Sun, 25 Jan 2015 - 01:31 68kMLA

If it's a ROM issue, then maybe someone can build a custom ROM card for it!

c