DEC disk drive power consumption (was Re: QBUS SCSI card...)

From: Ethan Dicks <erd_6502_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Mon Feb 24 12:19:00 2003

--- Doc Shipley <doc_at_mdrconsult.com> wrote:
> I do know that my MVIII uses a hack of a lot less power booting off a
> remote disk than it did spinning up 3 MFM drives. I can only assume
> that the RAxx use even more juice.

Dunno about anything as new as an RA9x, but the RA81 draws 30A surge
current (which is why they have that daisy-chain power sequencer port),
and 8A steady-state. That's a big honkin' motor in there, plus several
square feet of controllers.

I have several. I keep them powered off as much as possible. For my
8200, I've been using an MBA SDI<->ESDI box with 1 x 1.2GB ESDI disks.

Much better MB/KW ratio.

-ethan
Received on Mon Feb 24 2003 - 12:19:00 GMT