🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4jd78n$bie@siesta.packet.net>,
   fwhill@flnet.com (F.W. Hillier) wrote:
>schuster@panix.com (Michael Schuster) wrote:
>
>>In article 
<Pine.OSF.3.91.960308133424.3754C-100000-100000-100000@leonis.nus.sg>,
>>>	Is there a method to use an external scsi to parallel converter 
>>>on a scsi zip drive? Know if such things exist, where I can get one?
>
>>Reposted for the fourteen quadrillionth time:
>
>
>
>>Several people have asked about the possibility of transporting the SCSI
>>ZIP drive to PC's having no SCSI host ... in particular whether there is a
>>way to use a parallel port adaptor.
>
>>The Adaptec [Trantor] MiniSCSI series won't work by themselves, since 
>>they draw power from the SCSI device and the ZIP drive does not 
>>provide TRMPWR.
>
>>However, Iomega still makes a similar adaptor, currently the PPA-3, which
>>is bundled with some Bernoulli drives. It costs about $180 and is available
>>direct, or from the special PC/Mac Connection Iomega order line.
>
>>There are two gotchas:
>
>>1. Cabling. The Bernoulli drives use standard 50-pin Centronics
>>connectors, and the PPA-3 is built to plug directly in. So, to connect a
>>Zip drive you have to make a custom cable having a female Centronics-50 on
>>one end and a male DB-25 on the other. This can be improvised using a "Mac
>>System Cable" and a F-F Centronics-50 gender changer.
>
>>2. Power. The PPA-3 is designed to draw power from the Bernoulli drive.
>>Not via the TRMPWR pin on the SCSI cable, but through a special mini phone
>>jack on the back. The PPA-3 has a short cable coming out of the side,
>>terminating in a mini phone plug. Iomega sells an optional power supply
>>for $25.
>
>>It's pretty obvious that the PPA-3 requires 5 VDC, tip positive, at some
>>small current draw. However, looking inside it is apparent that there is
>>**NO** regulation or reverse polarity protection on this plug. So be very
>>careful what you connect, or you could easily fry the PPA-3 ... a cheap
>>unregulated wall wart would be asking for trouble.
>
>>You could easily construct a y-cable to power the SCSI ZIP and the PPA-3
>>from the same Iomega power cube, though.
>
>>That being said - we rigged together cables and power this morning, and
>>tried the combination on a DOS machine having the Acculogic multi-io card
>>with SMC EPP port. Just typing "guest", it works exactly like a parallel 
>>port Zip drive, except that the SCSI ID on the drive is not 7 like the 
>>PP model. We achieved the same throughput under DOS as with the PP version 

With your obvious expertise, perhaps you can help me with something a bit more 
basic. I cannot get a parallel port ZIP drive to install on my 486sx25. I've 
tried everything the folks at Iomega tech support suggest (including 
exchanging the thing for another when one tech rep said the first drive was 
bad). I keep geeting 'can't find zip tools disk' or in DOS, "can't read drive 
E'. suggestions? thanking you in advance ...