The BlueSCSI Project: Replacing My Dead Quantum ProDrive

_nec6678

New Tinkerer
Apr 16, 2025
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**Note: I yap a lot about uselessly trying to fix a Quantum ProDrive in the following paragraph, so skipping it will likely be in your best interest.
This afternoon when I went to turn on my IIx, the hard drive spun up but I got nothing but the floppy icon. This was pretty normal; my IIx has a thing where I need to restart the computer to get the hard drive to read. But when I did this, still nothing. I tried again and again, but still nothing. I eventually decided to open up the computer, and reseated the SCSI and power connectors. Still nothing, but now I could see that the activity light was solid. I knew the hard drive must be dead, so I took it out, and tried to open it. I thought that maybe the heads were stuck, and maybe I could get the drive to work again if I was quick. I was wrong, and with my clumsy hands, actually dropped an opening pick inside. I couldn't get the last screw out, so after prying really hard on the lid, I could get the pick to come out. I put the screws back in, knowing that I wouldn't able to get any further, and plugged the drive back in. Now, it didn't spin up at all, and instead made a heavy kachunk. I also felt a chip getting hot, so I decided to call it quits on this drive. Unfortunately, my thriving city from SimCity yesterday seems to be lost forever.

Something that I've been looking at for a while is building my own BlueSCSI, but I've never fully understood the instructions, since a lot of the videos I have found are using a kit. I am using this GitHub page, linked to on the official BlueSCSI website. Until I build one, I'll plug my BMOW Floppy Emulator into the second floppy port and have it emulate a hard drive. I'll see how far I can get with building a BlueSCSI on my own, and will update when I make progress (or fail).

**Side note: In case you're looking at the pictures, I have no idea who Kevin is.
 

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djc6

New Tinkerer
Oct 19, 2024
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Quick update, the BMOW Floppy Emulator idea I had didn't work. I feel pretty stupid.

I am a classic mac newb, but I do know the Floppy Emu can emulate an "HD20" device - a hard drive apple made that connected to the external floppy port.

But wikipedia says this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Disk_20
Apple officially dropped support for the HD20 with System 6 as well as omitting the necessary ROM code beginning with the Macintosh II.[7]

So maybe your IIx doesn't even have HD20 support in its ROM?

I bought a BlueSCSI for my SE/30 - I did not get a kit, it was fully assembled. Get the version with Wi-Fi its awesome :)


I followed these Usage instructions: https://bluescsi.com/docs/Usage

And I asked a lot of questions on the BlueSCSI Discord Server which is quite active and full of people who can help:

 

djc6

New Tinkerer
Oct 19, 2024
41
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I revived another drive recently (also Quantum SCSI from a mac, but a ProDrive LPS) that wouldn't spin after just gently moving the platters and heads myself which got things unstuck.

But I did so connected to a bluescsi in initiator mode so I could immediately image the drive.
 

_nec6678

New Tinkerer
Apr 16, 2025
19
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3
So maybe your IIx doesn't even have HD20 support in its ROM?
That's pretty interesting! That would explain why the IIx doesn't have a DB-19 port on the back. I just assumed that since emulating a hard drive running MacOS 7.1 on the BMOW Floppy Emulator was possible on my Mac Plus (and maybe my SE FDHD, I can't remember) from the rear DB-19 connector, it would work with the internal floppy connector in my IIx. You learn something new every day!