HP-9114B Disk Drive

[Gerry]

I just inherited an HP-9114B disk drive but without manuals. I've been able to power it up and connect it to my HP-41CV via the HP-IL module. All I get is the a "no drive" message, or something like that. Lacking a manual, I'm pretty much in the dark as to what commands to give it, diagnostics to perform or how to fix it. Anybody got any info, hard copy or digital, that will help?

[Paul S.]

I had a similar problem. Turned out the battery was gone. Didn't help if it was plugged in (no matter how long). If you have a diskette in the drive when you power it on and the test light doesn't come on and the diskette spin for a few seconds, a bad batttery is a likely suspect. The unit could be broken otherwise, but a battery fixed the same symptoms in mine.

I got a battery from Digikey (www.digikey.com) 6V, 2.4Ah sealed lead acid battery part# p262-ND, $16.32.

[Gerry]

You were right. It seems to have been a battery problem. I replaced the battery this morning with the one you mentioned which I had previously ordered from Digi-Key, and the unit "spun up" nicely. Still more tests to do on it, but "It's alive!"

[Walt Devaney]

Did you get the postscript file of the 9114B manual?

[Gerry]

So you sent it? I only got it this morning and I just sent you an E-mail reply. Thanks for sending it.

I replaced the battery on the 9114B (I used the info from your 5/10/99 post, on the HP Forum Archive, among those by others) and it appears to be working now. I'll need to test it further, though.

One of the most helpful pieces of info in that pdf file was the "Power-On Selftest", which I'll quote for the possible benefit of others:

"A power-on selftest is performed automatically when you turn on the disk drive. The test light (on the right side of the front panel) is on when selftest is in operation. The selftest takes approximately 6 seconds after which the test light goes out. If you have a disk inserted in the drive, read and write testing (involving the disk) takes an additional 5 seconds or a total of approximately 11 seconds. If the test light stays on after the normal testing time, an error within the disk drive (such as write protection - my note) has been detected."