Dave (from the UK) wrote:
> Will all (most) DDS-4 tape drives work on a narrow (50-pin) single ended
> SCSI bus?
>
> Most drives seem to be Ultra wide, but Sun 390-0028 (option 6295)
>
> http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub..._40GB_4mm.html
>
>
> whilst having a 68-pin connector, has the wide SCSI bus disabled.
>
> From the Sun website:
>
> 390-0028
> HP C5683-00625
> ***Wide SCSI Disabled***
> Medium Grey Bezel
> Option 6295
>
> So it seems this unit (which is an HP drive badged as Sun) has wide
> SCSI disabled. Will a typical DDS-4 tape drive work on narrow SCSI, or
> does one has to be a special one?
>
> There appears to be no jumper on that drive, so I'm not so sure most
> drives could be used.
>
> The original poster of this thread
>
> http://groups.google.co.uk/group/com...344ceff3c244ee
>
>
> was told to use his drive on narrow bus, but I'm not so sure it will
> work (I've obviously dropped him an email to ask).
>
> Theres one or two of that part number on eBay
> http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-C5683-00625-2...QQcmdZViewItem
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-C5683-00625-2...QQcmdZViewItem
>
>
> but at between $550 and $780, they are very expensive, given the DDS-4
> drives have sold for $60, and perhaps less.
> http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-DDS-4-DAT-4... cmdZViewItem
>
>
>
>
I have a number of DDS3 drives running off a mix of Sun (HD50), PC and
Mac machines. I don't know if DDS4s use the same connector on the actual
drive units, but given the speed and data throughput of the media, I
can't see the point of enforcing a faster standard so I'm guessing that
DDS4 drives, unhoused at least, will hook up fine...??? Pure hypothesis
though as I've no real experience.

FWIW, I've found the Sony 9000 DDS3 machines to be vastly superior to
the HP stuff etc. I their DDS4 drive is an 11000 but again, that's from
(failing) memory, not knowledge.

Good luck. Hopefully others here will have more informed knowledge...

John