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IBM PS2 CDROM Technical Reference

From RetroTechCollection

The IBM Personal System/2 CD-ROM Drive Technical Reference, First Edition (March 1990), part number 15F2134, form number S15F-2134-00, is IBM's 38-page programming reference for the PS/2 CD-ROM drive.

What it contains

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The SCSI command set as the drive implements it, with a numbered figure for each:

  • SCSI commands supported by the drive; the Inquiry data block; the Request Sense command sense keys table and additional sense data.
  • Test Unit Ready, Rezero Unit, Mode Select (with its parameter list, block descriptors and page descriptors), Page 01 error recovery parameters, Page 02 disconnect/reconnect control parameters and the buffer full ratio.
  • Reserve and Release, Mode Sense and its data block, Start/Stop Unit, Prevent/Allow Media Removal, and Auto Track Search.

What it does not contain

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No text layer — this is an image-only scan, so it cannot be searched; read it as page images.

No service content whatsoever: no FRU numbers, no drive disassembly, no laser or sled alignment, no belt or gear data and no component values. A PS/2 CD-ROM drive that will not read is not diagnosable from this book beyond its SCSI responses.

What it settles

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The Request Sense key and additional-sense tables are the useful part for a repairer: they turn a drive's numeric complaint into a stated cause, which is as close to a fault code list as IBM published for this drive.

Download it here: IBM PS2 CDROM Technical Reference.pdf

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