Quantum Bigfoot TX - How to hook it up?

G

GeForceX

Supreme [H]ardness
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Mar 19, 2003
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Hey guys,

I searched for answers but came up with nothing. I have a Bigfoot Quantum TX that may be 12 GB or so and I want to hook it up to my PC. When I tried to hook it up, I realized that the pins are wider/longer from the regular IDE ports. This is a legacy hard drive that's 5.25". Anyone have experience with this kind of hard drive? Anyway I can run this?

Thanks!
 
Is it SCSI? If so you need a SCSI card to be able to read that drive. I had a 5.25" quantum bigfoot years back but that one was definetely IDE.
 
Nope, it's not SCSI. It's definitely IDE. But it seems to be a "bigger" kind of IDE. Not like today's. :eek: So how do I do it?
 
How to Read Quantum Hard Disk Drive Model Numbers
Example: QM36480ST-A

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quantum Form
Factor Megabytes
(MB) Project
Designators Interface

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

QM 3 6480 ST A

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3 = 3.5-inch
5 = 5.25-inch Formatted
capacities
(approximate) AL = Atlas II
CY = Bigfoot CY
EL = Fireball EL
EX = Fireball EX
PX = Viking II
SE = Fireball SE
SG = Pioneer SG
ST = Fireball ST
TD = Atlas III
TX = Bigfoot TX
VK = Viking
A = ATA
LW = Ultra 2/Wide Ultra SCSI
S = SCSI, Standard Narrow
SW = SCSI, Wide Single Ended
SWD = SCSI, Wide Differential
SCA = Single Connector Attachment
 
it's either scsi or ATA... Pretty sure all ATA connectors are the same, it is probably SCSI.
 
Ditto - there was only one ATA connector. I've had Quantum SCSI drives - they do exist.
 
It definitely sounds like the 50 pin SCSI connection. Unless you have a SCSI card handy with a 50 pin connector and cable it's not going to do you much good.

 
Thanks for the overwhelming response!

It says ATX40R80 as its model name.

I counted the pins, it is a 20 pin connector IDE.

It's just that I've been attempting to plug in a FLOPPY DRIVE (34 pin) to the drive. I'm an idiot. I need to borrow an IDE connector from someone. :)
 
Well, that would be a 40pin IDE connector, 20x2rows...but anyways, I've done that before, myself (although if you know me, and attempt to point that out to anyone else, I will glare at you and vehemently deny it). Glad to hear you don't have to go on an old SCSI scavenge to get it working.

They sell IDE cables for $20/ea at BestBuy...lol
 
Personally I liked the concept of the bigfoot. While it would be slow IMO it would have been a great way to make high capacity drives. Pity no one wanted to develop it further.
 
Hypernova said:
Personally I liked the concept of the bigfoot. While it would be slow IMO it would have been a great way to make high capacity drives. Pity no one wanted to develop it further.
Click to expand...

It died a quiet death due to the power/performance gains due to higher density 3.5 " platters.

Still, how many bits could they squeeze onto 5.25" platters these days?

3-4 TB drives would be the norm.:eek:

Don
 
DonDon said:
It died a quiet death due to the power/performance gains due to higher density 3.5 " platters.

Still, how many bits could they squeeze onto 5.25" platters these days?

3-4 TB drives would be the norm.:eek:

Don
Click to expand...

No joke, but those things were behemoths! And the advantages of having a larger platter versus just increasing areal density or adding more platters furthers complicates the issue of making bigger-than-3.5" drives, such as keeping the larger platter as smooth and consistent, which would be more difficult than, say, a 3.5" disk's platters as well.

But yeah, the capacities of such drives with today's technology would be huge, but the heat and noise of those things wouldn't be so hot. :eek:
 
Syntax Error said:
No joke, but those things were behemoths! And the advantages of having a larger platter versus just increasing areal density or adding more platters furthers complicates the issue of making bigger-than-3.5" drives, such as keeping the larger platter as smooth and consistent, which would be more difficult than, say, a 3.5" disk's platters as well.

But yeah, the capacities of such drives with today's technology would be huge, but the heat and noise of those things wouldn't be so hot. :eek:
Click to expand...


Well, remember that you would be replacing 2-3 current drives with a single drive.... But well, I guess if it would pay off, someone would be doing it.

Don
 
I remember horror stories about the Bigfoot drives at my first computer job years ago. The techs there to this date will continue to defend they are among the worst drives ever created in the industry. I finally had the chance to give them their payback on the drive after I found one rummaging in their store, looking for stuff to shoot at at the local target range outside of town.

The only good Bigfoot, is a dead bigfoot. I just need a higher caliber weapon to penetrate all that evil.

 
Freezebyte said:
I remember horror stories about the Bigfoot drives at my first computer job years ago. The techs there to this date will continue to defend they are among the worst drives ever created in the industry. I finally had the chance to give them their payback on the drive after I found one rummaging in their store, looking for stuff to shoot at at the local target range outside of town.

The only good Bigfoot, is a dead bigfoot. I just need a higher caliber weapon to penetrate all that evil.

Click to expand...
Are they worse than the IBM Deathstar drives?

The only one I actually ran into in the wild, was in an old computer I was recycling. It was dead. ;)

Don
 
Wow... I'm glad someone chimed in that remembers these drives. I remember have several of these drives for cheapwads back in the day. They are indeed standard 40pin IDE... nothing special about the interface on these are all. They spin at 4200rpm if memory serves and were notoriously slow (and fairly unreliable). The were discontinued maybe a year after initial release as they didn't really make sense as a minor cost cutting measure. Emachines loved to use them if that tells you anything.
 
Freezebyte said:
I remember horror stories about the Bigfoot drives at my first computer job years ago. The techs there to this date will continue to defend they are among the worst drives ever created in the industry. I finally had the chance to give them their payback on the drive after I found one rummaging in their store, looking for stuff to shoot at at the local target range outside of town.

The only good Bigfoot, is a dead bigfoot. I just need a higher caliber weapon to penetrate all that evil.

Click to expand...

LOL :D

Sounds about right there with the Deathstars in terms of sheer hatred!
 
buddys HP with a 300 celeron back in the day had it and used it all the way up till just a few years ago with no problems out of the drive

 
One of my bigfoot drives had ghost syndrome.
The partitions would magically appear and disappear.
I gave it to a friend who resurrected it for a few months but the problem returned.
Fun while it lasted :)
 
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