Thinkpads Forum

I just discovered that these drives need a jumper when used as "slave" drives.

In my TP-A31p the Ultrabay HDD Apapter connector does NOT provide space for a normal jumper. Anybody else run into this problem? What is their solution?

BTW, I cloned my 100GB/7200 primary drive to one of these 160GB/5400 units ... and upon installing the clone into the primary position all's well. However, when installed into the slave postion, it becomes invisible (4 partitions) .. without said jumper.

My Rube fix was to take some silver solder wire (0.014in dia) and make the jumper in-situ. I fits into the HDD Adapter (at close inspection is a bit tilted when fully engaged with the connector .. but it works. What worries me is that this solution may be dangerous to my HDD ... static discharge while applying said home-made solution.

Any ideas that are better?

Frank

I have never seen one of those adapters, but on all HD connectors that I know, the extra pins for jumpers on a HD are not included in the bus-connector from the IDE-cable or other IDE-connector, they should remain 'free'. If space is an issue inside the Ultrabay adapter, why don't you tray and break away the plastic cover from a standard jumper, and put in just the copper bits?
Or get the old Dremel out and make space for that (full or 'bare') jumper?

The HDD connector in the Ultrabay Adapter IS full width including the 2 pairs of pins that the jumpers use.

Since the corresponding pin sockets on the adapter side have metal in them I suppose that they are connected (functional) in the system .... thus I don't think I should cut them away to make room for a normal jumper.

Any other ideas?

Fran K-F

Using a multi-meter, find out if those 'jumper-pins' go anywhere into your TP. If not, you could solder the connection in the Ultrabay adapter, if you don't use anything else in it. Put a long enough wire in that you can remove/cut later on, if you change your HD.

AFAIK you don't need to set any jumpers. That drive should also be used as a Master.

There is some info on Master/Slave/Cable Select here:
http://zurich.ai.mit.edu/hypermail/thin ... /0096.html