Is this a SCSI port on my Zip 250?

[ComputerCompulsive]

Hi,
Just trying to verify an assumption on my part; Is the port on the back of this Zip 250 drive for SCSI?
I can't find any indication on the drive itself that it supports SCSI but I can't think what else this port would be for if not for SCSI.

Is anyone able to shed some light please?

 

[YMK]

There were also parallel port Zip drives.

 

[ComputerCompulsive]

There were also parallel port Zip drives.

It does not look like a parallel port to me. Reading up on some forms people suggest it's a PCMCIA SCSI adapter port. Wondering if there were any adaptors out there that could take it to a regular mac SCSI instead of PCMCIA?

 

[Paralel]

The parallel zip drives were always DB-25 male, so the cables they used were DB-25 female that interfaced with the ZIP drive, and DB-25 male that interfaced with the parallel port.

I'm nearly certain that is a Centronics HD-50 female SCSI port.

I think this is the cable it uses:

 

[ComputerCompulsive]

The parallel zip drives were always DB-25 male, so the cables they used were DB-25 female that interfaced with the ZIP drive, and DB-25 male that interfaced with the parallel port.

I'm nearly certain that is a SCSI port.

A bit more research and I found this adapter for PCMCIA (see below) So you're saying that port on the back and is meant for a HD-50 SCSI 2 cable. Do you happen to know if they made a HD-50 SCSI 2 cable that could connect to a standard Macintosh SCSI port?

I was hoping I could use this drive with my freshly recapped Classic II

 

[ComputerCompulsive]

The parallel zip drives were always DB-25 male, so the cables they used were DB-25 female that interfaced with the ZIP drive, and DB-25 male that interfaced with the parallel port.

I'm nearly certain that is a Centronics HD-50 female SCSI port.

Would something like this work to convert it to something Mac compatible? (From Ebay 50pin SCSI-2 Male Plug to DB25 SCSI-1 Female Jack Adapter)

 

[Paralel]

Well, the adapter you have in that pic is a DB-25 to a SCSI-2 HD-50, which is different from a Centronics HD-50. A Centronics HD-50 is just a smaller version of the typical Centronics 50 port you have on a printer that connects to a parallel port, and is not standard for any SCSI standard. If it's wired for PCMCIA, it is not SCSI compatible since those protocols speak in a completely different way. Apparently that is a Centronics HD-50 to PCMCIA connector, which is rather odd and I have never seen anything used like that before. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a way to talk to your Classic II directly.

It does not look like a parallel port to me. Reading up on some forms people suggest it's a PCMCIA SCSI adapter port. Wondering if there were any adaptors out there that could take it to a regular mac SCSI instead of PCMCIA?

Are we sure the PCMCIA port speaks SCSI? If it does, then one could actually use a Centronics HD-50 to DB-25 SCSI cable. I'm not familiar with what protocols PCMCIA would use to talk to a Zip drive.

 

[ComputerCompulsive]

Well, the adapter you have in that pic is a DB-25 to a SCSI-2 HD-50, which is different from a Centronics HD-50. A Centronics HD-50 is just a smaller version of the typical Centronics 50 port you have on a printer that connects to a parallel port, and is not standard for any SCSI standard. If it's wired for PCMCIA, it is not SCSI compatible since those protocols speak in a completely different way. Apparently that is a Centronics HD-50 to PCMCIA connector, which is rather odd and I have never seen anything used like that before. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a way to talk to your Classic II directly.

Shoot, I had hoped I lucked out and got a SCSI Zip drive but it sounds like I need to go hunting again.
Thanks for your help! Much appreciated!

 

[Paralel]

I just learned the proper name for that connector, the one on that zip drive is called an HPCN50-F and its counterpart is an HPCN50-M. From what I can tell the name stands for "High Pin density Centronics 50", just a smaller version of the typical Centronics connector.

Apparently they can be used for SCSI, although it is considered a non-standard connector. So, I guess that does beg the question, does it implement PCMCIA at the other end, but still speak SCSI, or is it just PCMCIA?

We'd need someone who knows PCMCIA to answer that, that is one protocol I am not all that familiar with. If it does speak SCSI at the other end, then implementing a cable with HPCN50-M on one end and DB-25-M on the other end should work.

 

[YMK]

I'm not familiar with what protocols PCMCIA would use to talk to a Zip drive.

Parallel ATA is another possibility.

 

[Paralel]

Parallel ATA is another possibility.

Ah, excellent point. I guess we'd have to know more about the cable, or someone that knows ZIP drives well.

 

[AvadonDragon]

That drive was the USB/PCMCIA version meant to be used with the card pictured above. Unfortunately I'm 90% sure it uses an ATAPI interface not SCSI.

 

[ComputerCompulsive]

That drive was the USB/PCMCIA version meant to be used with the card pictured above. Unfortunately I'm 90% sure it uses an ATAPI interface not SCSI.

Well shoot, good information to know though. thanks!