Sun compatible CD-ROM drives

The following information provides no explicit endorsement for any of these products other than the fact that 'Net users posted success using them with Suns; any configuration-specific details are listed with the comments:

Anadacto

Courtesy: ggall@netlink.nix.com (George Gall)
Comments: Not much information on this, but it's supposed to be a clone Sun drive; should work right out of the box.

Apple CD300

Modification -> Sun: none needed
Sun Version?: no
Courtesy: jk@tools.de (Juergen Keil)
Comments: this drive is nearly-identical to the SunCD. The Sony inside will accept the MODE SELECT command and switch to 512 byte mode. While mounting and initializing, it will complain, but will work.

Chinon 535

Modification -> Sun: switch EPROMs ($20)
Sun Version?: order with Sun EPROMs pre-installed
Courtesy: zbig@junior.wariat.or
Comments: swapping EPROMs is a pain if you switch machines often

Compaq SCSI-2 2x CD-ROM

see Panasonic CR-503B. This drive is an OEM'd Panasonic CR-503B

DEC RRD40

Modification -> Sun: none
Courtesy: Wilko Bulte (wilko@yedi.iaf.nl)
Comments: ancient, OEM'd from LMSI, see LMSI entry below

DEC RRD42

Modification -> Sun: none
Sun Version?: no
Courtesy: Gordon Vickers (gordon@rahul.net), Wilko Bulte (wilko@yedi.iaf.nl)
Comments: make sure the SCSI ID number is 6; should work transparently OEM'd from Sony (courtesy of Wilko)

DEC RRD43

Modification -> Sun: none
Sun Version?: no
Courtesy: Wilko Bulte (wilko@yedi.iaf.nl)

DEC RRD45

Modification -> Sun: none
Sun Version?: no
Courtesy: Wilko Bulte (wilko@yedi.iaf.nl)

Denon DS-253

Modification -> Sun: none, maybe PROM switch
Sun Version?: *unknown*
Courtesy: ishikawa@ds5200.personal-media.co.jp (Chiaki Ishikawa)
Comments: can be used to mount CDs with kernel patch but cannot boot unless used with a Sparc with the right patch and ROM revision; apparently there is a Hitachi drive hiding under the label

Hitachi CDR-1750S

Modification -> Sun: DIP switch on back for 512/2048 modes
Sun Version?: yes
Courtesy: bob@sna.co.umist.ac.uk (bob nutter)
Comments: will get "unrecognized vendor error"; it also has a problem with the command set definition so it will not play back (to the Sun) any audio track from a multi-media disc. [additional courtesy Robert Bonomi ]

IBM SCSI-2 2x CD-ROM

Courtesy: mfrisch@saturn.tlug.org (Mike Frisch)
see Panasonic CR-503B. This drive is an OEM'd Panasonic CR-503B

Laser Magnetic Storage International Company CM234

Modification -> Dip Switch
Sun Version?: ?
Speed: 1x
Courtesy: rachel@virago.org.au (Rachel Polanskis)
Comments (Rachel's): This is a single speed first generation SCSI CDROM drive I picked up for around AUD 60 (about $40 US). The disk is a hand loaded caddy - the disk is inserted into a "shoe" and then placed in a plastic sleeve. This is then inserted into the drive as a whole and then the sleeve is extracted (leaving the shoe and the disk inside).

On the rear of the unit is a set of dip switches, with a sticker with a legend on the back. Peel the sticker off and you are in trouble - as it contains the info you need to set the switches! Set the drive ID to 6 and set the other dips to accept 512kb block size and you can boot your Sun off it. I installed Solaris 2.5.1 with this drive onto a SPARC IPC, no problems, and it works fine with volume manager. Do not attempt to insert a caddy to remove a disk without first shutting off volmgt - you cannot eject these disks with software...

NEC CDR-84.1

Modification -> Sun: none, maybe PROM switch
Sun Version?: yes
Courtesy: jk@tools.de (Juergen Keil)
Comments: as with the Denon, unless there is a PROM swap available, this drive can only be used with a modified copy of Solaris and ROM rev. 2.3 or higher. Note: make sure it is in SCSI-2 mode (there is a DIP switch). Do not confuse the drive with its sibling the CDR-84; the 84 will not work because it is straight SCSI-1.

Panasonic CR-503B

Speed: 2x
Modification -> Sun: Jumper #5 IN
Courtesy: mfrisch@saturn.tlug.org (Mike Frisch)
Caddy or tray? tray
Comments: These drives have been popping out of the woodwork lately. I picked up mine brand new in a sealed box in early '96 for $50 CDN (~$35 USD). It's an excellent drive for Sun! I personally boot SunOS 4.1.3_U1 on a SPARCstation IPC from this drive.

Pioneer 4.4x SCSI-2

Modification -> Sun: DIP switch or jumper
Courtesy: mfrisch@saturn.tlug.org (Mike Frisch)
Comments: I have not personally tried one of these drives on my Sun, but others have reported it to work. The external version I saw intended for Mac had a DIP switch on it to change the block size. (if anybody can confirm that it works, I'd appreciate it)

Pioneer DRM600

Modification -> Sun: DIP switch on back for 512/2048 modes
Sun Version?: yes
Courtesy: dclunie@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au (David Clunie)
Comments: 6-disk changer, can be made to work with all six (see question below)

Plextor-Texel 5028/3028 (ext/int)

Modification -> Sun: DIP switch on back for 512/2048 modes
Sun Version?: built-in
Courtesy: zbig@junior.wariat.org (Zbigniew J. Tyrlik)
Comments: high 'Netcommendations for ease-of-switch from Sun->PC

Blake Wright (bmwright@smeg.users.xmission.com) writes to report that the DIP switch (as mentioned above) does not exist on his Texel 3028. "There's a solder jumper pad on the exposed circuit board portion of the drive, it's located right by the 50 pin SCSI header midway between pin 1 and 50 on the top side of the drive, no disassembly required to get to it and it looks like the two small half moon shaped pads on my Toshiba 3301 and 3401s. The pad is not bridged, in order to get the drive into 512 byte/block mode you have to either put a small blob of solder on it or wire up a switch and close it. I don't recall the jumper pad # on the board, possibly 230 or 208, it should be easy enough to find given the description above"

(Can somebody please confirm that the above information does/does not apply to the 5028 as well? I suspect the original "report" on this drive only applies to the 5028 and somebody assumed it would apply to the older 3028 as well).

Plextor 8x

Modification -> Sun: DIP switch
Sun version?: no
Courtesy: jcarr37863@aol.com (Jerry Carr)
Comments: Jerry Carr sells these drives

Toshiba 3201/3301/3401

Modification -> Sun: the pad-cutting hack mentioned above
Sun Version?: 3301U/3401U
Courtesy: jk@tools.de (Juergen Keil)
Comments: the switch allows moving from PC to Sun and back more easily than a PROM swap, but it is a hack and voids your warranty.

Toshiba XM4401B

Modification -> Sun: *unknown* (see below)
Sun Version?: XM440U (presumably)
Curtesy: elfchief@lupine.org
Comments: I am basing this on one article from elfchief@lupine.org, who got it to work on a Sparcstation 1+. It tries to initialize the drive, then gives "serious error in phase. " Turning off the drive breaks the hang when he mounts it. This drive _should_ work if you turn off synchronous I/O on the kernel level. Please add to this.

Sony CDU-541/561/8012

Modification -> Sun: none
Sun Version?: SunCD, SunCD+
Courtesy: bhepple@hk.net (Bob Hepple)
Comments: You can install Solaris 2.x from these drives with the 2048 byte blocksize with Boot Prom Rev 2.3 or higher. The following information provides no explicit endorsement for any of these products other than the fact that 'Net users posted success using them with Suns; any configuration-specific details are listed with the comments:
Last modified: Thu Sep 26 23:02:43 EDT 1996