Hard Drive Mystery

[gt24]

Thought I would introduce a mystery to OC Forums, one that I never was able to solve yet the forums might be able to solve them. I have a hard drive, specifications are listed below...

IBM - H3342 - A4
Capacity : 342 Mb

It still works, works great, I don't use it all that much. Is like all other hard drives, it is special like some of my hard drives in that the jumpers are on the bottom, special like some of my drives in that the jumpers are insanely hard to figure out (thus this drive will always forever be master, since it is too much work to look up information on this thing). Oh, by the way, it has two IRdA ports on it!!!

With the HDD conectors facing up...

This one would be on the right...

This one, consequently, is on the left...

Never could use the IRdA ports, never could figure out why it is there, what it was designed to do, or anything about it! So, forum members, there is your mystery. Help me learn about my special old little drive...

Thanks to www.theforumisdown.com for the image hosting...

<Edit> Added another picture when, after I posted the thread, I found out that the IRdA port I posted wasn't in the right location. Looking closely at the drive, I found the second IRdA port! The first one I saw was the left one, the one I took a picture of was the right one, not knowing that it was different. Still, nice that I found both! </Edit>

 

[Maximouse]

Here is a link with the drive specs and jumper settings.

http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/h3xax/oem3fspe.pdf


No mention of IRda ports though.

 

[gt24]

Here is a link with the drive specs and jumper settings.

http://www.hgst.com/hdd/support/h3xax/oem3fspe.pdf


No mention of IRda ports though.

They might not be IRdA ports though, yet they look very much like them. On pg 39 of the document you linked to is an isometric view. The right picture shown above is shown in diagram view on that page, yet not refered to. On pg 40 is shown the left side, once again clearly showing it in the picture yet not refering to it. Pg 42 shows the right side again.

No mention was made, in that document, that explained this unique little feature...

It might not be an IRdA port. When I take a bright light and put it right on top of the "IRdA" ports, it does not shine through, at all. It is tinted red, yes, but if it is IRdA, wouldn't a normal light shine through, at least a little bit?

 

[Startech]

I doubt it very much that it has anything to do with IR. The drive is rather old. I use to track closely the IBM drives/hardware and I never heard of it. I would think the plastic windows have to do with some manufacturing adjustement/monitoring/servicing points or something like that.