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SCSI Connector naming nonsense.

Posted by: macuserman on 2023-08-02 11:20:06

Alright so I have some peripherals an external scsi hd, and an external scsi cd drive. Both of them have cables that adapt them to PowerBook scsi hd-30 or whatever. I’m wanting to get some cables that would let me use the directly with regular I think it’s (DB 25?) desktop mac external scsi. However the two devices have slightly different connectors and it’s making things difficult.

The CD rom pictured here has a header with two rows of pins.

And the HD that uses this cable has like a solid center strip with pins on each side.

They look very similar but aren't the same internally, any idea what the difference in name is so I can find the right adapers?

Posted by: macuserman on 2023-08-03 06:20:21

I think I have the right cable sorted for one of the connectors, which appears to be an HPD50 cable, however the other one with the center strip is proving very hard to find. I can only find one example of it online and it is using the same name as the individually pinned cable. Unfortunately it's an extension and not an adapter so doesn't help me much.

Vintage HPDB50 Male to Male SCSI-2 Cable Adapter 8 inches | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage HPDB50 Male to Male SCSI-2 Cable Adapter 8 inches at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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Has anyone got a clue what this connector is?

Posted by: macuserman on 2023-08-03 06:26:42

And this is what I found that I believe will work for the more standard connector: https://www.ebay.com/itm/270841940459 visually they are physically the same and have the same number of pins but one has this center strip in the middle. Ugh. 🙁

Posted by: Phipli on 2023-08-03 06:28:47

@GRudolf94 I've seen these, and a full size centonics version with the extra holes in the middle, but no idea what they're called - any idea?

@macuserman - I think (the other one, the 50pin one is common) this is a non standard cable, so you might do better to find a HDI30 adapter and use the existing cable.

Posted by: macuserman on 2023-08-03 06:40:50

@macuserman - I think (the other one, the 50pin one is common) this is a non standard cable, so you might do better to find a HDI30 adapter and use the existing cable.

Well they are both 50pin, just with a slightly different internal connector one has two rows of 25 pins, and the other has a chunk of plastic between the two rows. I think I finally figured out what it is called but it doesn't help me so far at all as it seems rather obscure.

I believe it's a "Micro Centronics" connector:

However searching for that doesn't give any results really, and the only cables I can find with this connector are mislisted and just extensions not adapters.

Did they actually make HDI-30 adapters? I haven't seen those either.

Posted by: macuserman on 2023-08-03 06:45:54

I've also found a few references to it being called an HPCN vs HPDN connector, however, that doesn't seem to help much with my search either, guess this connector is just weird. 🙁

Black solder SCSI HPCN 50 pin connector male

Black solder SCSI HPCN 50 pin connector male | the connector pin arrangement in two rows | the top row has 25 pins and the lower row has 25 pins |

adamconn.com

Posted by: macuserman on 2023-08-03 06:59:04

Alright finally found a cable that wasn't the same on both ends, I think I can adapter from there I'm going to try this:

Micro CN50 to CN50 Male/Male SCSI Cable, 3FT | eBay

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and then use this to get back to DB25:

DB25 Male to CN50 Female SCSI Adapter, CablesOnline AD-S01 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DB25 Male to CN50 Female SCSI Adapter, CablesOnline AD-S01 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Fingers crossed this works!

Posted by: GRudolf94 on 2023-08-03 08:00:46

Technically, these are called Mini D(elta) Ribbon. So MDR-50 is the "correct" name.

@Phipli centronics with extra holes? Are you talking about the reliefs in the housing where the tangs of the spring pins lock?

Posted by: Phipli on 2023-08-03 08:05:35

Technically, these are called Mini D(elta) Ribbon. So MDR-50 is the "correct" name.

@Phipli centronics with extra holes? Are you talking about the reliefs in the housing where the tangs of the spring pins lock?

Could be. Not all connectors have them. They look like they're for additional contacts, but I am assuming that's wrong.