Megafile 30 PSU swap?

[damosan]

Hello.

 

I have a 220v Megafile 30 running off of a 220->110 step down transformer. Recently the drive will power up and run fine for a random amount of time ranging from 10 minutes to hours and then just go dark.

 

It seems like a PSU issue to me.

 

Quick question - is it possible to replace the 220 PSU with a 110v version from Best (preferred option)? Or should I order a 220v version?

 

Thanks.

[rcamp48]

I would get a Meanwell Power supply , they sell for around $30.00 Can they are small enough and powerful , I upgraded both my Mega ST4 and my SH204 with these babies, they are really good. Russ

[damosan]

I would get a Meanwell Power supply , they sell for around $30.00 Can they are small enough and powerful , I upgraded both my Mega ST4 and my SH204 with these babies, they are really good. Russ

 

Any particular model? What about the connectors and such?

 

D.

[6BQ5]

Yes, you can definitely replace the power supply with something from Mean Well or any other company. Just be sure it isnt any taller than the original PSU.

 

I installed a second drive and needed more current for both drives to spin up together. Therefore, I got a Traco Power 65-221. It has a couple of nice features. First, its enclosed so mounting it is easy. Second, the power connections are based on screw terminals making it easy to connect existing wiring. Third, it is very low profile for its power rating.

 

The downside is its price at almost $90! If you go for a lower current output model, especially one from Mean Well, you may find yourself in the $20-$40 range.

 

Oh, one more thing. Almost every modern power supply nowadays is rated for a voltage input of 100VAC - 240 VAC. Just swap in the supply and plug the unit into your wall outlet.

[+Nezgar]

I'm also interested in finding a replacement, I have a similar ICD hard drive enclosure setup for my Atari 8-Bit that needs a new PSU to power 2 drives. It has an Adaptec 4000A controller like the Megafile 20 (the Megafile 30 had a 4070 RLL controller).

 

I have a seagate 4144R 5.25 full height 120MB drive, specs state 55W peak, 23W typical

PLUS

a 3.5" NEC that specs say typical 9W...

 

So yeah something small that would fit in the same small footprint inside... Links to specific items would be great. Maybe on Amazon or ebay?

[6BQ5]

I have a ST-277R and the original ST-238R hooked up in my "open case" Megafile 30. Here's a link to the Traco supply I am using to power those drives and the logic board.

 

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/traco-power/TPP-65-221/1951-1084-ND/9382125

 

It looks like the supply is sold out.

 

I have a ST-4144R and that drive requires a lot of power. Something like the Traco mentioned above ought to be able to power it up. Adding a second drive to the mix may be stretching it a bit though. You'll have to check the individual +5 and +12V specs of all components. Getting more current from an already powerful supply while adhering to the size requirements may be tough and expensive.

 

Digression : I have a ST-4144R drive too but could never get it working. My guess is incorrect jumper settings. Can you share how you configured yours?

[+Nezgar]

Digression : I have a ST-4144R drive too but could never get it working. My guess is incorrect jumper settings. Can you share how you configured yours?

 

Here is mine. Tested working and fully formatted to maybe 83MB in MFM mode recently with an ICD MIO / Adaptec 4000A controller combo. I see there's an EPROM on there, maybe I should see if I can dump it, its one possible failure point if yours has suffered from old-age bit-rot...

 

 

And There's one more jumper in the middle of the board, not sure what for:

 

 

This sucker is a power monger for sure!!

 

 

Cheers!

[rcamp48]

I just got a bunch of 120 meg USB sticks that Rogers used to use for moem setup, perfect for USB storage oon the NetUSBEE cartruidge....

 

Russ

[rcamp48]

[6BQ5]

 

Here is mine. Tested working and fully formatted to maybe 83MB in MFM mode recently with an ICD MIO / Adaptec 4000A controller combo. I see there's an EPROM on there, maybe I should see if I can dump it, its one possible failure point if yours has suffered from old-age bit-rot...

 

4144a.jpg

 

And There's one more jumper in the middle of the board, not sure what for:

 

4144b.jpg

 

This sucker is a power monger for sure!!

 

4144c.jpg

 

Cheers!

 

Thanks for the photos! I had my jumpers all the same except for J8, the row that contains the drive selection. You have a jumper on one from the left. I had a jumper on two from the left. I did leave my drive select jumpers as drive 2. My Megafile has a ST-277R as drive 1. Still no luck though.

 

Maybe you're right - the PROM could be toasted. If you can get a dump then I will try reflashing it. I assume its an EPROM vs a OTP ROM?

[+Nezgar]

 

Thanks for the photos! I had my jumpers all the same except for J8, the row that contains the drive selection. You have a jumper on one from the left. I had a jumper on two from the left. I did leave my drive select jumpers as drive 2. My Megafile has a ST-277R as drive 1. Still no luck though.

 

Maybe you're right - the PROM could be toasted. If you can get a dump then I will try reflashing it. I assume its an EPROM vs a OTP ROM?

 

I'm using this drive as the 2nd drive on my controller, so it gets ID #0,1 (vs #0,0 for the primary drive) - From looking at one spec sheet, it seems to be jumpered as drive 1? http://bk0010.narod.ru/DRIVESPECS/SEAGATE/4325.txt

 

I dont ever recall having to rejumper the drives when swapping them, I think the Adaptec Controller talks to each as drive 1, and intelligently translates that to 1/2 on the SCSI side..

 

Try jumpering yours to drive 1. (even if it is the 2nd drive)

 

I was able to successfully remove the 24 pin EPROM, and read it with my TL-866 as a 2732 type. (4 KiB / 4096 bytes) The chip is definitely a UV EPROM because I can feel the slight indent where the window would be. The label seems very permanently stuck on, so I was unable to peek at the exact brand/speed.

 

What version is printed on your EPROM label? Would be interesting to compare a dump from yours myself as well.

 

If you don't have a spare EPROM, I do have some blanks of this type and could program and mail one to you.

Seagate ST-4144R V0.38.bin

[6BQ5]

I'm pretty sure the RLL controller in the Megafile needs the second drive to be configured as such. My original ST-238R became the second drive and I set the drive select jumper in the second position. Just for grins I tried configuring the ST-4144R as the first drive. I was curious to see what would happen. Would I get something? Nothing? Honestly, I got nothing ... as if the drive wasn't even there. HDDRIVER recognized my ST-277R and carried on.

 

My PROM is the same as yours with the V0.38 sticker on it. Looking closely at it I see an indent for a window. I was going to pull it out this weekend and take it to work so I can try reading it next Monday or Tuesday on my lunch break.

 

Let's see what I can extract from it.