Apple Widget
| Apple Widget | |
|---|---|
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|
| The Widget controller board, two-layer version 677-0110-C (1984) | |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer |
| Type | Internal hard disk |
| Interface | Lisa internal parallel port (ProFile protocol) |
| Compatible | Apple Lisa 2/10, Macintosh XL |
| Part number | 661-93176 (Macintosh XL Hard Disk Assembly) |
| Storage | 10 MB: 19,456 blocks of 532 bytes |
The Widget is Apple's own 10 MB hard disk, fitted inside the Apple Lisa 2/10 and the Macintosh XL. Apple's owner's guide describes it as a 10-megabyte internal hard disk on an internal parallel port, which is why the 2/10 has no external parallel connector.[1] Apple's service manuals call it the internal hard disk or the HDA, and list the assembly as 661-93176, "Macintosh XL Hard Disk Assembly".[2] Its Tech Info Library calls the same part the "hard disk assembly (Widget)".[3] The drive sits in the Lisa's disk drive module, in the same carrier as the 3.5-inch micro disk drive.[2]
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Access time | 50 ms | Apple TIL 805[4] |
| Spindle speed | 3100 rpm ±1% | Apple TIL 805[4] |
| Latency | 9 ms | Apple TIL 805[4] |
| Data transfer rate | 5 MHz | Apple TIL 805[4] |
| Cylinders, heads, sectors | 514, 2, 19 | Firmware specification[5] |
| Capacity | 19,456 blocks of 532 bytes, with up to 76 spare blocks | Firmware specification[5] |
The firmware also defines identities for 20 MB and 40 MB drives ("Widget-20" and "Widget-40"), which Apple's Lisa documents do not describe.[5]
How it works
[edit | edit source]The Widget carries its own controller. Apple's 1982 block diagrams show a Zilog Z8 microcomputer with an 8K EPROM, 2K of static RAM, ECC logic, a serialiser and a state machine, behind a ProFile-style host interface. The production board photographed on bitsavers has the Z8, an HM6116 static RAM, EPROM 341-0289-D and two gate arrays, one marked ECC; the drive also has separate read/write and servo boards.[6][7] Its firmware has three command sets. The ProFile commands (read, write and write-verify a logical block) let the Lisa's existing ProFile driver use the drive unchanged. Diagnostic commands work the drive's sub-functions one at a time without retries, and system commands transfer up to 255 blocks at once.[5] If the drive fails its self-test it refuses all read and write commands but still answers diagnostic commands.[5]
Version 1.3 of Apple's boot ROM manual, for ROM revision H, records a fix to the hard disk reset routine: a Widget could previously cause a timeout error because it takes longer to respond to a reset.[8]
Power-on sequence
[edit | edit source]The drive runs its own start-up independently of the Lisa's self-test, and only at power-on; pressing the reset button does not repeat it.[9] In the sequence described on the LisaList2 forum in 2020, the controller waits for the spindle to reach speed, then pulses /ServoReset. That releases the head brake solenoid, which makes a clunk. A single seek follows ("squeak-squeak"), then a read/write test on an outer track, then a bad-block scan ("squeak-tic-tic-tic" with the LED blinking). The drive ends with its ready LED on.[10] Typical timings recorded on LisaFAQ:
| Seconds | Event | Then |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Power on | Platters spin up |
| 10 | Spin-up complete | Waits for brake release |
| 20 | Brake releases | Fast surface scan |
| 28 | Fast scan complete | Slow surface scan |
| 88 | Surface scan complete | Drive ready |
The figures are from JDM's 2006 addendum to the LisaFAQ entry.[9] Apple's own troubleshooting step is shorter: the disk's ready light flickers during its self-check and then stays on; if it does not come on steadily, replace the disk.[2]
Removing and fitting
[edit | edit source]Apple's procedure, from the Lisa 2 take-apart section:[2]
- Switch off and disconnect all peripherals. Remove the front cover.
- Loosen the thumbscrew at the base of the disk drive carrier and pull the module out until the cable connectors on the top board are visible.
- Free the power cable from the plastic clamp on the left wall of the carrier and work the power connector out of its socket.
- Pull apart the latches of the HDA connector, just left of the power connector, to eject the cable. Rotate the module down and disconnect the micro disk drive cable at the back of the carrier.
- To take the HDA out of the carrier, disconnect the two-pin fan connector, remove three screws from the solid side and three from the vented side, free the fan wire from its clamp, lift the vented wall slightly and slide the HDA out towards the front. Set it on a foam pad.
Always remove the HDA before the micro disk drive, or the HDA motor assembly can be damaged.[2] When refitting, fold the ribbon cable over the board, slide the HDA in from the left with its rounded side on the same side as the micro disk drive's slot, and keep the fan wire in the base-plate notch so it is not trapped.[2]
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Apple's TIL 1602 warns that the module is a tight fit. Screws ending inside the mounting area easily damage the grey flat cable or the drive power cable as the module slides in; remove the top of the case to guide it. On some cabinets a screw projecting into the drive cavity forces down the rear lip of the HDA's metal shield, stressing the HDA's board and moving its potentiometers out of adjustment. Apple's fix was to cut the screw off, and to replace the HDA if its boards had visible damage.[3]
Apple's technical procedures have a section on packing the HDA for shipment in the service HDA packaging kit, because the drive is a Winchester disk whose media can be damaged in transit.[2] Keep the drive upright and do not move the head arm by hand while the disk is not spinning: the air flow from the spinning platters is what lifts the heads off the surfaces.[10]
Faults
[edit | edit source]| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Error 81 (hard disk not ready), no clunk at start-up | Head brake solenoid out of adjustment and not releasing | Adjust the brake gap (below)[11][9] |
| Brake clunks, head jitters back and forth, no squeak, drive never ready | Servo fault or misalignment; head arm stuck | Read the controller status with NeoWidEx, BLU or UsbWidEx. One owner starts a drive whose arm sticks by moving the arm slightly; never move it while the disk is not spinning[10][12] |
| "Squeak-bang" on the first seek | Servo broken or badly misaligned | Servo alignment needs special tools[10] |
| Error 82 (bad response from hard disk) | Drive not working properly | One restorer found his drive unrepairable and fitted an X/ProFile emulator in its place[8][13] |
| Error 84 (invalid boot file on hard disk) | Damaged boot blocks | Reformat under the Lisa Office System and then MacWorks XL, or with MacWorks Plus 1.0.18 or later in expert mode[11] |
| Internal hard disk error icon, or no hard disk icon on the desktop | Missing memory board, loose cables, or file system damage | Make sure two memory boards are fitted; reseat the two cables at the top of the drive; check Preferences in the Office System; run a hard disk repair[2] |
| Drive not recognised after being swapped; boots with the HDA removed but cables connected | Cable damaged during fitting, or the HDA board stressed by a cabinet screw | Replace the grey flat cable; cut off the screw; replace the HDA if its boards are damaged[3] |
| System crashes while booting or in use | File system damage, card cage boards, or the drive | Repair the disk with the Office System 1 disk; reseat, then replace, the card cage boards one at a time; then replace the drive[2][14] |
The Lisa's boot ROM codes for the hard disk are 80 (not attached), 81 (not ready), 82 (bad response), 83 (non-zero status bytes), 84 (invalid boot file) and 85 (timeout).[8] LisaTest's built-in hard disk test scans the whole surface for bad blocks without destroying data and takes about five minutes.[2] LisaTest 2.2 cannot test a disk formatted for Macintosh software; use LisaTest 3.0 or later.[15]
Adjusting the brake
[edit | edit source]The Sun Remarketing guide's procedure for error 81 needs #1 and #2 Phillips screwdrivers and a 0.012 inch (0.3 mm) feeler gauge:[11]
- Unplug the computer and remove the disk drive module. Disconnect all data and power cables from the drives.
- Turn the carrier upside down, so the heavy hard disk is at the bottom.
- Remove the six screws (three each side) that hold the hard disk, and lift the carrier off, leaving the drive upside down on the bench.
- Remove the four screws of the sheet-metal support bracket with a #2 Phillips screwdriver and lift the bracket away.
- Find the solenoid marked "Inertia Dynamics, Collinsville, CT USA". Loosen its holding screw, set the gap to 0.012 inch with the feeler gauge, and tighten the screw. A failed brake can have opened to as much as 0.075 inch.
- Reassemble and test. If the brake still does not release, repeat with a little more or a little less clearance.
The LisaList2 description of the check is similar: with the solenoid engaged there should be a small air gap between its rubber pad and the HDA axle. Pushing the latch back by hand a few times can free a solenoid that sticks at first.[10]
Replacing the drive
[edit | edit source]The Sun Remarketing guide lists other makes of internal hard drive found in Lisas (Fujitsu, Kalok, Miniscribe, Seagate); original Widgets are marked "Apple computer".[11] Today the usual replacement is a ProFile emulator that fits the Widget's space, such as the X/ProFile.[13]
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- File:Widget Firmware Specification 2.0 (1984).pdf: Apple's firmware specification and theory of operation, revision 2.0, May 1984.[5]
- Apple Service Technical Procedures Lisa/Macintosh XL: take-apart, HDA packing, LisaTest and troubleshooting.[2]
- Lisa Do It Yourself Guide: brake adjustment and boot-block repairs.[11]
- bitsavers holds Apple's Widget block diagrams, the external reference specification, servo documents and board schematics under pdf/apple/disk/widget.[6]
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Apple Lisa 2/10
- Macintosh XL
- Apple ProFile
- Apple Lisa Troubleshooting
- Hard Drive Maintenance and Repair
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Apple Computer, Lisa 2 Owner's Guide, © 1983, 1984, "Which Lisa 2 System Do You Have?" (PDF p. 5) and Chapter 4, "Internal Hard Disk", p. 55 (PDF p. 57). Hosted as File:Apple Lisa 2 Owners Guide 1984.pdf (see Apple Lisa 2 Owners Guide 1984).
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Apple Computer, Apple Service Technical Procedures: Lisa/Macintosh XL. Lisa 2 Take-Apart, pp. 5-11 of 26 (PDF pp. 166-172): removing the disk drive module, removing and installing the HDA (Lisa 2/10), the caution to remove the HDA before the micro disk drive; Section 1.A, HDA Packing for Shipment, rev. 3/3/85 (PDF pp. 188-197); Diagnostics p. 5.7 (PDF p. 239), the LisaTest built-in hard disk test; Troubleshooting p. 6.19 (PDF p. 258), codes 80-85; pp. 6.29-6.33 (PDF pp. 270-273), hard disk environments and crashed-disk repair; p. 6.35 (PDF p. 274), Internal Hard Disk Symptom/Cure Table; Illustrated Parts List, Macintosh XL chassis and disk drive assembly (PDF pp. 382 and 390), 661-93176. Hosted as File:Apple Service Technical Procedures Lisa-Macintosh XL.pdf (see Apple Service Technical Procedures Lisa/Macintosh XL).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 1602, Macintosh XL: After Hard Disk is Swapped It Won't Boot, created 20 December 1985, absurdengineering.org library. Damaged grey flat cable or drive power cable from screws in the mounting area; a cabinet screw pressing on the HDA shield and misadjusting potentiometers on the HDA's board.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 805, Lisa 2/10 10MB Hard Disk: Specifications (Discontinued), © 1984, 1992, absurdengineering.org library. Access time 50 ms; 3100 rpm ±1 per cent; latency 9 ms; data transfer rate 5 MHz.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Rodger Mohme, Apple Computer, Widget Firmware Specification and Theory of Operation, revision 2.0-0, 8 May 1984, 91 PDF pages. Command types: ProFile, diagnostic and system commands, and the self-test rule (pp. 3-4); Read ID identity block for Widget-10, -20 and -40: capacity $004C00 blocks, 532 bytes per block, 514 cylinders, 2 heads, 19 sectors, 76 possible spare blocks (pp. 7-8); status bits including heads parked and controller LED (pp. 9-12); Send_Park, Send_Restore and Auto_Offset (head 1 used for fine positioning); spare table and format interleave 0-6. Hosted as File:Widget Firmware Specification 2.0 (1984).pdf; from bitsavers, pdf/apple/disk/widget.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Apple Computer, Widget controller block diagrams, October 1982, bitsavers, https://bitsavers.org/pdf/apple/disk/widget/Widget_Block_Diagram_Oct82.pdf (retrieved 2026-10-04): the Z8 microcomputer with its own memory, serial I/O and counter-timers; 2K static RAM; 8K EPROM; ECC; serialiser; state machine; ProFile or AppleBus host interface.
- ↑ bitsavers, Widget board photographs, https://bitsavers.org/pdf/apple/disk/widget/pcb_pictures/ (retrieved 2026-10-04): controller (Widget_Controller_f.jpg, marked "Lisa Widget Controller Two Layer", 677-0110-C, © 1984, EPROM 341-0289-D, HM6116 RAM, Z8, GA and GA ECC chips, 7.3728 MHz crystal), read/write (Widget_RW_f.jpg) and servo (Widget_Servo_f.jpg) boards; a four-layer controller, 677-0108, is also photographed.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Rich Castro, Apple Computer, Lisa Boot ROM Manual, version 1.3, 24 February 1984, revision H ROM, pp. 1-2 (changes for the Widget reset) and p. 21 (error codes 80-85). bitsavers, https://bitsavers.org/pdf/apple/lisa/Lisa_Boot_ROM_Manual_V1.3_Feb84.pdf (retrieved 2026-10-04).
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 LisaFAQ, "3.7.2.1. At startup Lisa shows a hard drive error 81, what can I do?", https://lisafaq.sunder.net/lisafaq-hw-hd-error_81_brake.html (retrieved 2026-10-04). Self-test independent of the Lisa's and only at power-on; the brake release and head squeak; error 81 when the brake does not release; JDM's addendum of 24 June 2006 with typical self-test timings.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 LisaList2 forum, "Apple Lisa Widget Drive Help", https://lisalist2.com/index.php?topic=76.0 (retrieved 2026-10-04). Post by patrick, 18 April 2020: the power-on sequence; "squeak-bang" meaning a broken or misaligned servo; reading the controller's status with WidEx (Apple III), NeoWidEx (Lisa) or UsbWidEx (PC); checking the brake solenoid gap; never moving the head arm while the disk is not spinning. Posts by mactjaap, 17 April 2020: starting a working drive whose arm sticks by moving the arm slightly; using NeoWidEx and BLU (Reset Servo, Soft Reset, Drive Info).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Sun Remarketing, Apple Lisa/Macintosh XL Do-it-Yourself Guide, ca. 1990, "Hard Drive Repairs": startup error 81 and the brake adjustment with a 0.012 inch feeler gauge, figures 24-26 (PDF pp. 33-35); startup error 84, damaged boot blocks, and its three fixes (PDF pp. 35-36); Widget drives marked "Apple computer" (PDF p. 6). Hosted as File:Lisa Do It Yourself Guide.pdf (see Lisa Do It Yourself Guide).
- ↑ Patrick, "UsbWidEx - ProFile/Widget Debugger", http://john.ccac.rwth-aachen.de:8000/patrick/UsbWidEx.htm (retrieved 2026-10-04). WidEx was the Apple /// Pascal tool Apple's disk group used in 1984 to format, debug and troubleshoot Widget drives; UsbWidEx reads and writes blocks, images whole disks, sends diagnostic commands to the controller and can drive the servo board directly.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Terry Stewart, "Repairing and Rejuvenating an Apple Lisa 2/10 (Macintosh XL)", 5 March 2011, https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2011-03-05-rejuvenating-a-lisa2-10.htm (retrieved 2026-10-04). Error 57 traced to a faulty IWM on the I/O board; the Widget stalling with error 82; no low-level format available; an X/ProFile board fitted in the Widget's place and booting the Office System or MacWorks XL from a CompactFlash card.
- ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 480, Lisa: When to Repair Your Hard Disk, absurdengineering.org library. Repair after any reset or abnormal power-down; the Office System 1 repair and the minor repair.
- ↑ Apple Computer, Tech Info Library article 1317, LisaTest 2.2: Errors When Testing Macintosh Hard Disks, last reviewed 9 November 1988, absurdengineering.org library. LisaTest 2.2 hangs or gives error 3 with a Macintosh-formatted hard disk; LisaTest 3.0 and the Macintosh XL/Lisa Modification Test 1.0 can test them.