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The external drive bays at the front of a
Dell PowerEdge 6300 system hold up to three user-accessible, half-height 5.25-inch
devices (typically CD-ROM or tape drives). A small computer system interface (SCSI) CD-ROM
drive is standard in the first external drive bay, while two additional devices of your
choice can be installed in the next two external drive bays. External SCSI devices are
connected to the Ultra/Narrow SCSI controller on the system board. A fourth drive bay
accommodates a standard 3.5-inch diskette drive, which is controlled by the diskette drive
controller on the system board. See Figure 1 for a general view of
the various drives, connector cables, and power cables in the external drive bays.
Figure 1.
External Drive Bay Hardware
This section describes how to install the
following options :
- Drives that use the computer's integrated diskette drive controller
- Drives that use the computer's integrated Ultra/Narrow SCSI controller
- Tape drives that use a controller card
To remove or install drives in the
external bays, you must remove the computer covers and front bezel according to the
instructions in Removing the Computer
Cover.
 |
WARNING:
The power supplies in this computer system produce high voltages and energy
hazards, which can cause bodily harm. Only trained service technicians are authorized to
remove the computer cover and access any of the components inside the computer. |
|
WARNING:
This system may have more than one power supply cable. To reduce the risk of electrical
shock, a trained service technician must disconnect all power supply cables before
servicing the system. For more information, refer to Safety First--For You and Your
Computer. |
To protect the inside of the computer
from foreign particles, a plastic front-panel insert covers each empty external drive bay.
Before you install a drive in an empty bay, you must first remove the front-panel insert.
Whenever you remove a drive, be sure to
replace the front-panel insert over the empty bay.
To remove the front-panel insert for a
drive bay you intend to use, first remove the front bezel as instructed in Removing the Computer Cover. Then,
facing the inside of the front bezel, press against the center of the insert with your
thumbs until the insert bows sufficiently to loosen the tabs on the sides of the insert.
Pull the insert out of the bezel.
To replace a front-panel insert, position
the insert over the bay opening from the inside of the front bezel and carefully press the
insert into place. A tab on each side of the insert snaps into a corresponding latch on
the inside of the front bezel.
This section describes the power input
connectors and interface connectors on the backs of most drives.
Figure 2 shows
the 4-pin power input connector, where you connect a DC power cable from the system power
supply. The power connectors are keyed to avoid incorrect insertion; do not force two
connectors together if they do not fit properly.
Figure 2. Power Input Connector
A ribbon
cable functions as the interface cable for most types of
drives. The connector on the cable may be a header connector (see Figure
3) or a latching connector (Figure 4).
Figure 3.
Header Interface Connector
Figure 4.
Latching Interface Connector
Most interface connectors are keyed for
correct insertion; that is, a notch or a raised tab on one connector matches a tab or a
notch on the other connector. Keying ensures that the pin-1 wire in the cable (indicated
by the colored strip along one edge of the cable) goes to the pin-1 ends of the connectors
on both ends.
 |
CAUTION:
When connecting an interface cable, do not reverse the interface cable (do not
place the colored strip away from pin 1 of the connector). Reversing the cable prevents
the drive from operating and could damage the controller, the drive, or both. |
Each drive in the external drive bays
must connect to a 4-wire DC power cable from the system power supply. The connectors on
these cables are labeled "P3," "P4," "P5," and
"P6." Connectors P3, P4, and P5 are used for 5.25-inch devices, whereas
connector P6 is used for the standard 3.5-inch diskette drive. Before connecting a drive
to a power cable, refer to Figure 5 to identify the correct cable
connector to use for a particular drive.
Figure 5. DC Power Cable Connectors
 |
NOTE: Unused power cables
may be held in a retention clip just underneath the computer's top cover. The power cable
connectors may be covered with protective plastic caps. |
Installing
SCSI Devices in the External Bays
SCSI devices in the external drive bays
are controlled by the Ultra/Narrow SCSI controller on the system board.
Although SCSI devices are installed
essentially the same way as other devices, their configuration requirements are different.
To configure SCSI devices installed in the external bays, follow the guidelines in the
following subsections.
Each device attached to the Ultra/Narrow
SCSI host adapter must have a unique SCSI ID number
from 0 to 7.
When SCSI devices are shipped from Dell,
the default SCSI ID numbers are assigned as follows:
- The on-board Ultra/Narrow SCSI host adapter is configured through the
basic input/output system (BIOS) as SCSI ID 7.
- A SCSI tape drive is configured as SCSI ID 6 (the default ID number for a
tape drive).
- A SCSI CD-ROM drive is usually configured as SCSI ID 5.
|
NOTE: There is no
requirement that SCSI ID numbers be assigned sequentially or that devices be attached to
the cable in order by ID number. |
Dell provides a SCSI cable with an active
terminator on the end of the cable. All SCSI devices attached to the cable must have
termination disabled.
|
CAUTION:
Dell recommends that you use only SCSI cables purchased from Dell. SCSI cables purchased
elsewhere are not guaranteed to work reliably with Dell PowerEdge 6300 systems. |
The 50-pin
Ultra/Narrow SCSI cable has four connectors:
- The connector at the end of the cable farthest away from the other three
connectors attaches to the SCSI host adapter connector labeled "SECONDARY SCSI"
on the system board.
- The other connectors on the cable attach to SCSI devices in the three
external drive bays.
To install a SCSI device that uses the
on-board Ultra/Narrow SCSI controller, follow these steps:
1. Prepare the drive for installation.
Ground yourself by touching an unpainted
metal surface on the back of the computer, unpack the drive, and compare the jumper and
switch settings with those in the drive documentation. (See SCSI Configuration Information for information
on setting the drive's SCSI ID number and enabling termination [if required].) Change any
settings necessary for this system's configuration.
If the drive
does not already have drive rails attached, attach a drive rail to each side of the drive.
Orient the drive rails as shown in Figure 6. Secure each drive
rail to the drive with a screw in each of the lower slotted screw holes on the drive rail.
2. Remove the front bezel and computer
cover.
See Removing the Computer Cover.
3. Remove the metal insert from the
drive bay that you will be using.
4. Slide the new drive into its bay
until it snaps securely into place.
If necessary, you can adjust drive
alignment by repositioning one or both rails.
Figure 6. Attaching Drive Rails
5. Slide the system board tray out to
the service position.
See Accessing the Interior of Your
System for instructions.
6. Connect a DC power cable and one of
the connectors on the Ultra/Narrow SCSI cable to the back of the drive (see Figure 1).
If other installed drives are in the way,
temporarily move them out of the way. Press in on the plastic drive rails at the front of
the bay to disengage a drive, and then slide the drive slightly toward the front of the
chassis.
Refer to DC
Power Cables to determine the correct DC power cable connector to use for the drive.
Plug the DC power cable connector into the 4-pin power input connector on the back of the
drive.
Select the connector on the Ultra/Narrow
SCSI cable that most easily reaches the new SCSI device, and press the interface cable
connector firmly into the drive's interface connector.
If you moved other drives at the beginning
of this step, snap them back into place.
7. Check all cable connections that may
have been loosened during this procedure. Arrange cables so that they will not catch on the computer covers or block the airflow of the fans or
cooling vents.
8. If a front-panel insert on the front
bezel blocks the bay in which you installed the drive, remove the insert.
See Removing and Replacing Front-Panel
Inserts.
9. Close the system board tray.
10. Replace the front bezel and
computer cover.
11. Reconnect the computer and
peripherals to their AC power sources, and turn them on.
12. Test the SCSI devices.
To test a SCSI tape drive, refer to the
documentation for the tape drive software to perform a tape drive backup and verification
test.
If you change the orientation of your
computer (e.g., from an upright configuration to a rack configuration), you may wish to
reorient the drives in the external drive bays so that the drives are still horizontal by
performing the following steps:
1. Remove the front bezel and computer
cover.
See Removing the Computer Cover.
2. Remove the front-panel inserts from
the front bezel.
See Removing and Replacing Front-Panel
Inserts.
3. Reposition the plastic frame
surrounding the drive opening in the front bezel:
Facing the inside of the front bezel, press
against the center of the frame with your thumbs until the frame bows sufficiently to
loosen the tabs on the sides of the insert. Pull the frame out of the bezel.
Rotate the frame 90 degrees to match the new
orientation of the drives.
Replace the frame in the front bezel and
carefully press it into place.
4. Reinstall the front-panel inserts
to match the new drive orientation.
See Removing and Replacing Front-Panel
Inserts.
5. Slide the system board tray out to
the service position.
See Accessing the Interior of Your
System for instructions.
6. Remove the external drives from the
drive bays:
- Disconnect the DC power cable and the interface cable from the back
of the drive. Be sure to record the power connector number and the location of the
interface cable connector.
- Press inward (toward the center of drive) on the two drive-release
tabs, and slide the drive out of the bay.
- If any of the drive bays are empty, remove the metal insert(s)
covering the bay(s) and reinsert them in the proper orientation.
7. Reinstall the external drives to
match the new system orientation:
Slide each drive into the bay until it snaps
securely into place.
Reconnect the appropriate DC power cable and
interface cable to each drive.
8. Close the system board tray.
9. Replace the front bezel and
computer cover.
Tape drives that require their own separate controller cards are
shipped with the controller card and an interface cable. Install the drive in an external
drive bay by performing the following steps:
1. Configure the controller card if
necessary.
Refer to the documentation accompanying the
tape drive and the card. If the card incorporates jumpers or switches that must be set to
work with the system, verify or change the settings as necessary.
2. Remove the computer cover and front
bezel.
See Removing the Computer Cover.
3. Slide the new drive into its bay
until it snaps securely into place.
If necessary, you can adjust drive alignment
by repositioning one or both rails.
4. Install the controller card in an
expansion slot.
See Installing an Expansion Card.
5. Connect a DC power cable to the tape
drive.
If other installed drives are in the way,
disengage them by pressing in on the plastic drive rails at the front of the bay, and
slide them slightly toward the front of the chassis.
Refer to DC Power
Cables to determine which DC power cable connector to use. Plug the DC power cable
connector into the 4-pin power input connector on the back of the drive.
6. Attach the interface cable that came
with the drive kit to the interface connector on the back of the drive.
7. Connect the interface cable to the
controller connector on the controller card.
Refer to the controller card's documentation
to identify the controller connector on the card.
8. If you moved other drives in step 5,
snap them back into place.
9. Check all cable connections that may
have been loosened during this procedure. Arrange cables so that they will not catch on the computer covers or block the airflow of the fans or
cooling vents.
10. If a front-panel insert on the
front bezel blocks the bay in which you installed the drive, remove the insert.
See Removing and Replacing Front-Panel
Inserts.
11. Replace the front bezel and
computer cover.
12. Reconnect the computer and
peripherals to their AC power sources, and turn them on.
13. Perform a tape backup and
verification test with the drive as instructed in the tape-drive software documentation
that came with the drive.
Complete the following procedure to
connect a stand-alone tape drive that connects to the computer using a controller card and
shielded interface/DC power cable:
1. Prepare the tape drive and
controller card for installation.
Ground yourself by touching an unpainted
metal surface on the back of the computer. Unpack the tape drive and controller card, and
configure them for the system according to the instructions in the documentation that came
with the tape drive.
2. Remove the computer cover and front
bezel.
See Removing the Computer Cover.
3. Install the controller card in an
expansion slot.
See Installing an Expansion Card.
4. Replace the front bezel and computer
cover.
5. Connect the tape drive's
interface/DC power cable to the external connector on the controller card; secure the
connection by tightening the screws on the connector.
6. Reconnect the computer and
peripherals to their power sources, and turn them on.
7. Perform a tape backup and
verification test with the drive as instructed in the software documentation that came
with the drive.
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