Description
Key Technical Specifications
-
Model Number: VMIVME-7452
-
Manufacturer: GE (legacy VMIC), later Abaco Systems
-
Function: Floppy-disk and IDE hard-disk/flash mass-storage module
-
Media:
-
3.5″ floppy drive, 1.44 MB
-
2.5″ IDE hard-disk or flash drive, 128 MB–2 GB jumper-selectable
-
-
Interface: IDE (ATA-2) and standard floppy controller; VME slave only—no DMA master cycles
-
VME Bus: A16/D08/D16 slave; appears as I/O-mapped IDE and floppy registers
-
Power: +5 VDC @ 1.5 A typical; +12 V for spindle (auto-switched)
-
Form Factor: 6U single-slot VME; depth 160 mm; mass ≈ 0.4 kg
-
Environment: 0 … +55 °C commercial, -40 … +85 °C storage; 5 g vibration
-
Connectors:
-
Front: 3.5″ floppy slot (eject button)
-
Rear (P2): 40-pin IDE, 34-pin floppy, power, activity LED
VMIVME-7452
-
Field Application & Problem Solved
Turbine-control crates still boot from DOS floppies—license keys, calibration files, and the odd 1990s EPROM burner utility. When the 3.5″ drive in the operator console dies you can’t just slap in a USB floppy—the VME CPU expects real floppy registers at 0x03F0. Drop in a VMIVME-7452 and you just resurrected the legacy toolchain: the board appears as standard IDE and floppy ports, so the CPU boots DOS from floppy, then swaps to the on-board 128 MB IDE flash for data logging. I’ve used this exact card on a 7FA gas-turbine black-start package: no external drives, no extra power bricks, and the P2 cable keeps the media outside the seismic zone—saved a 2 a.m. drive to site when the only DOS boot disk failed.
Turbine-control crates still boot from DOS floppies—license keys, calibration files, and the odd 1990s EPROM burner utility. When the 3.5″ drive in the operator console dies you can’t just slap in a USB floppy—the VME CPU expects real floppy registers at 0x03F0. Drop in a VMIVME-7452 and you just resurrected the legacy toolchain: the board appears as standard IDE and floppy ports, so the CPU boots DOS from floppy, then swaps to the on-board 128 MB IDE flash for data logging. I’ve used this exact card on a 7FA gas-turbine black-start package: no external drives, no extra power bricks, and the P2 cable keeps the media outside the seismic zone—saved a 2 a.m. drive to site when the only DOS boot disk failed.
Core value: legacy mass-storage that the old BIOS still recognizes, with industrial temperature specs and no fans to fail.
Installation & Maintenance Pitfalls (Expert Tips)
Drive-select jumpers are factory-set
Floppy is DS1 (B:), IDE is master. If your BIOS expects A: (DS0), move the jumper or you’ll get “Disk boot failure” even though the motor spins.
Floppy is DS1 (B:), IDE is master. If your BIOS expects A: (DS0), move the jumper or you’ll get “Disk boot failure” even though the motor spins.
P2 cable is keyed—don’t force it
The 40-pin IDE and 34-pin floppy headers on P2 are shrouded but will accept the cable 180° out. Pin-1 is marked with a white dot—line it up or the activity LED stays on solid and the drive never ready.
The 40-pin IDE and 34-pin floppy headers on P2 are shrouded but will accept the cable 180° out. Pin-1 is marked with a white dot—line it up or the activity LED stays on solid and the drive never ready.
VMIVME-7452
Flash-drive option is industrial CF-to-IDE
The 128 MB flash is a CF card on a carrier. If you sub in a 512 MB consumer CF the timing may be too slow for the 8 MHz IDE bus and the BIOS times out. Stick with the approved industrial CF or keep the image under 128 MB.
The 128 MB flash is a CF card on a carrier. If you sub in a 512 MB consumer CF the timing may be too slow for the 8 MHz IDE bus and the BIOS times out. Stick with the approved industrial CF or keep the image under 128 MB.
Spindle +12 V is auto-switched
The board senses +12 V presence; if your crate only supplies +5 V the floppy motor won’t spin and the BIOS reports “Floppy disk(s) fail (40).” Verify +12 V on P2 before you blame the drive.
The board senses +12 V presence; if your crate only supplies +5 V the floppy motor won’t spin and the BIOS reports “Floppy disk(s) fail (40).” Verify +12 V on P2 before you blame the drive.
