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- Add a Hard Disk to a Kaypro "84" Floppy Computer
-
-
- The recent computer slump has resulted in massive parts dumping on the
- part of the computer manufactures to the surplus market. I am sure that
- you have seen all the ads in the papers hawking IBM ten megabyte drives
- for less than $500. Let me tell you how you can add a hard disk to your
- computer.
-
- All of the "84" series computers come with the larger power supply and
- the necessary power wiring for two drives and the hard disk controller.
- To convert to a K10 simply involves unplugging the lower drive, adding
- the controller and host interface boards, and plugging in some new
- cables.
-
- The following is a list of the needed parts:
-
- The hard disk itself
- Shugart 712
- Seagate 224
-
- The hard disk controller
- Western Digital 1002-HDO or 1002-05
-
- Kaypro Host Interface 81-212A ( must be "A")
-
- System ROM
- Kaypro 81-302C
- Advent 84 Turborom
-
- Software
- Kaypro K10 F, G, or H System disk
- Advent Turborom software is supplied with its ROM
-
- Interconnect cables
- Dual 50 pin IDC ribbon cable (computer to host)
- Dual 40 pin IDC ribbon cable (host to controller)
- 34 pin IDC to 34 pin edge ribbon (controller to disk)
- 20 pin IDC to 20 pin edge ribbon (controller to disk)
-
- Hardware
- 8 4-40 1/2 in spacers
- 4 4-40 1/4 in flat head screws
- 12 4-40 1/4 1n binder head screws
- 8 #4 nylon or fiber washers
-
- The hard disk is available from many sources. In the December Byte
- Advanced Computer Products is selling the Shugart for $229 with a one
- year warranty.
-
- The Western Digital controller is also a standard part. Its list is
- $295. Xerox surplus outlet has them for $75 as is (the five I have
- purchased have all worked), S100 is supposed to have them new for $200,
- and ERAC has them used with warranty for $200.
-
- The host interface card is a Kaypro part. Your Kaypro dealer can order
- it for you for around $30 or you can get it from ERAC for $5.
-
- The cables are all standard parts. Most of the connectors cost 5 to 6
- dollars each and 50 conductor ribbon cable is about a buck a foot. ERAC
- has the stock kaypro cables for around $3 each, but they are too short.
- You can reuse most of the connectors if you are careful and use them to
- help build up to ERAC's $25 minimum order. Their ad states that they
- have 81 series ROMs, so they might have the 81-302c in stock.
-
- Now for the construction. I despise overly detailed instructions, so I
- am only going to describe the work in general. If you need more
- specific hand holding, most user groups have at least one technical type
- that can help.
-
- Remove the main board, the floppies, and the floppy cage.
-
- Mount the host interface card on four spacers on the floor of the
- computer in the area normally covered by the cage. Mount it with the 50
- pin connector facing the rear.
-
- Mount the controller card on the left side of cage. Be sure to mount it
- low enough to miss hitting the main board. I only used three spacers as
- the lower front one would be a real bitch to get a screw into.
- Countersink the holes and use the flathead screws so that they don't
- interfere with the drives.
-
- Temporarily set the cage back in place and make up the host cables. The
- forty pin connector goes to the forty pin connector on the controller.
- The fifty pin connector goes to the fifty pin connector on the main
- board next to the 34 pin floppy connector. Leave enough slack in the
- cables so that they can be adjusted to not block the air flow from the
- fan.
-
- Remove the controller and mount the cage. Mount the hard disk on the
- bottom and the floppy on the top. Both drives should have terminators
- and be strapped for the lowest drive number, on some drives that is 0
- and on some it is 1.
-
- Mount the controller card using the insulators so that none of the foil
- tracks on the top or bottom are shorted.
-
- Make up the drive cables. The 34 pin cable goes to the 34 pin connector
- on the controller next to the power plug. The 20 pin cable goes to the
- center of the three clustered 20 pin connectors J2.
-
- Remount the main board and plug in all of its cables. Plug in all the
- power cables. The controller gets the one with only a white and black
- wire. Plug the floppy cable back in using either of the edge
- connectors.
-
- Change the ROM. If you are using the Kaypro ROM it will be shorter and
- goes all the way to the rear of the socket.
-
- The rest of this assumes that you are using the stock Kaypro ROM and
- software. For the Advent Turborom refer to its instructions. To use
- the Turborom, you must purchase their Hard Disk Formatter also.
-
- Power up the computer with the system disk in the floppy. It should
- come up with Kaypro 10 1.9E message and then boot from the floppy
- normally.
-
- After at least warming up for half an hour we can now format the hard
- disk. Run Format and tell it that your drive is 1,1 head 0,3 cylinders
- 0,305. It takes about 45 minutes.
-
- Now run Findbad B: and Findbad C: to lock out any bad blocks. Run
- Putsys and Putovl to write the system to the hard disk and you are done.
- Open the floppy door, push reset and it should boot from the hard disk.
-
- One of the nice things about Kaypro is the extensive public domain
- support. John Smith has supplied a turnkey ZCPR3 system that will run
- on your new machine by simply running a new set of put files. Most
- kaypro user groups have it and it is on the major boards. I recommend
- it highly. It would be a hardship to go back to the stock CP/M system.
- It makes a hard disk even nicer.
-
- I have modified several machines with no problems. Since the entire job
- involves only board swapping, with a little care you should have none
- either.
-
- Glenn Drayer
- 15200 Magnolia #19
- Westminster, Ca 92683