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Installing Drives in the External Bays: Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2400 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

Overview • Before You Begin • Removing and Replacing Front-Panel Inserts • Connecting the Drive • SCSI Configuration Information • Installing a SCSI Device • Installing a Tape Drive That Uses a Controller Card • Connecting an External Tape Drive

Overview

The external drive bays at the front of a Dell PowerEdge 2400 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

Before You Begin

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

NOTE: If you are installing a SCSI hard-disk drive, see "Installing Hard-Disk Drives."

To remove or install drives in the external bays, you must remove the computer covers.

WARNING: Before you perform the procedures in this section, you must turn off the computer and disconnect it from its AC power source. For more information, see "Safety First—For You and Your Computer."

Removing and Replacing Front-Panel Inserts

To protect the inside of the computer from foreign particles, a plastic insert covers each empty external drive bay. Additionally, each empty external drive bay is covered by a metal insert to maintain the necessary electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for the chassis. Before you install a drive in an empty bay, you must first remove the plastic and metal inserts. Whenever you remove a drive, be sure to replace the metal insert on the chassis and then replace the plastic insert in the front bezel to cover the empty bay.

To remove the plastic insert for a drive bay that you intend to use, perform the following steps:

1. Remove the front bezel.
2. 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.
3. Pull the insert out of the bezel.

To remove the metal insert from a drive bay, perform the following steps:

1. Remove the front bezel.
2. Use your thumb to press in the tab on the right edge of the metal insert to release the insert.
3. Pivot the insert away from the chassis and disengage the tab on the insert's left edge.

Connecting the Drive

This section describes the interface cables and power cables used with the drives in your system.

Interface Cables

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 goes to the pin-1 ends of the connectors on both ends.

When you disconnect an interface cable, take care to grasp the cable connector, rather than the cable itself, to avoid stress on the cable.

DC Power Cables

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; connector P6 is used for the 3.5-inch diskette drive.

SCSI Configuration Information

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.

SCSI ID Numbers

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 integrated 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.

Device Termination

SCSI logic requires that the two devices at opposite ends of the SCSI chain be terminated and that all devices in between be unterminated. The SCSI cable included in your system has an active terminator installed at the end of the cable. Therefore, you should disable the termination on all SCSI devices you attach to this cable.

Installing a SCSI Device

To install a SCSI device that uses the integrated Ultra/Narrow SCSI controller, perform the following steps:

1. Prepare the drive for installation.

NOTICE: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge."

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 and secure each drive rail to the drive with a screw in each of the lower slotted screw holes on the drive rail.

Installing a Tape Drive That Uses a Controller Card

Tape drives that require their own separate controller cards are shipped with the controller card and an interface cable.

To install the drive in an external drive bay, perform the following steps:

1. Configure the controller card if necessary.
   Refer to the documentation that came with 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.

NOTICE: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge."

2. Remove the right-side computer cover.
3. 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.
4. Remove the metal insert from the drive bay.
5. 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.
6. Determine which DC power cable connector to use, and then plug the DC power cable connector into the 4-pin power input connector on the back of the drive.
7. Install the controller card in an expansion slot.
8. Attach the interface cable that came with the drive kit to the interface connector on the back of the drive.
9. 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.
10. If you moved other drives in step 3, snap them back into place.
11. 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.
12. If a front-panel insert on the front bezel blocks the bay in which you installed the drive, remove the insert.
13. Replace the right-side computer cover and front bezel.
14. Reconnect the computer and peripherals to their AC power sources, and turn them on.
15. Perform a tape backup and verification test with the drive as instructed in the tape-drive software documentation that came with the drive.

To connect a stand-alone tape drive that connects to the computer using a controller card and shielded interface/DC power cable, perform the following steps:

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.

NOTICE: See "Protecting Against Electrostatic Discharge."

2. Remove the right-side computer cover and front bezel.
3. Install the controller card in an expansion slot.
4. Replace the 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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