The Most Elite Cables Ever Made!

Holding these cables in your hands, comparing them to the standard PVC cables that Apple uses and Dell, IBM or Gateway for that matter, is a moment of revelation you will only have once: you will understand in clear, undeniable terms, exactly how computer manufacturers economize, and how they compromise quality in an effort to squeeze a little more margin out of a sale.

If you use your Mac for fun, and don't rely on it for utter optimum performance, you probably have no genuine need for these cables. But if your Mac is heavily customized, if you rely on it to make a living, and if you understand the wisdom of paying more for quality stuff that works better, then you'll want to continue reading. If you are suffering from inexplicable SCSI woes after installing a slide scanner internally, or an Ultra SCSI CD-ROM, or multiple internal hard drives, these ribbon cables will save you hours of grief, hassle, distress and lost production time. For geeks like you, they will be worth their weight in gold.

Granite Digital notes that the dielectric and crosstalk properties of their TPO (Thermal Plastic Olefin) cables are far superior to PVC, and maintain a perfect 132 ohms impedence with minimal fluctuation which vastly exceeds SCSI specifications. Perfect for the fastest drives on the planet. Granite TPO ribbon cables use silver-plated wire, with Beryllium metal at the base of their contacts and connectors, which are then gold-plated to a depth of 30u. These cables really do work under circumstances where lesser PVC ribbon cables do not.

And that's a bottom line.

With that same unmistakable feel of quality so typical of their other products, Granite's TPO LVD internal ribbon cables come with a lifetime warranty.

Depicted: GD1200, with GD2015 Diagnostic Terminator

These are the ultimate in Ultra3, Ultra320 SCSI Cables. Nothing else comes close. If you are building an internal SCSI bus these are your cables.

Performance Now up to 320 MB/sec

68-pin MicroD TPO-Flat Ribbon Ultra3, Ultra320 Internal Cables

68 MDm - 18in 1 x (68MDm)-3in 68MDf GD4800 $59.85 18" - 1 drive connection

68 MDm - 18in 2 x (8in+68MDm)-3in 68MDf GD1200 $77.90 18" - 2 drive con. - 8" apart - 3" 68MDf

68 MDm - 18in 3 x (8in+68MDm)-3in 68MDf GD4700 $95.95 18" - 3 drive con. - 8" apart - 3" 68MDf

68 MDm - 18in 4 x (8in+68MDm)-3in 68MDf GD1300 $114.00 18" - 4 drive con. - 8" apart - 3" 68MDf

68 MDm - 18in 5 x (8in+68MDm)-3in 68MDf GD4600 $132.05 18" - 5 drive con. - 8" apart - 3" 68MDf

68 MDm - 18in 6 x (8in+68MDm)-3in 68MDf GD1400 $150.10 18" - 6 drive con. - 8" apart - 3" 68MDf

68 MDm - 20in 7 x (10in+68MDm)-3in 68MDf GD3120 $168.15 18" - 7 drive con. - 10" apart - 3" 68MDf

Using Granite TPO cabling, cable distances exceeding 12 meters are feasible, though your mileage may vary. We recommend keeping cable lengths as short as possible, given 18" of initial separation between the first two connectors and 8" separation between successive devices. This is the ideal cable organization for avoiding signal reflection. The 68-pin MicroD female connector on the end fits the GD1515 Terminators.

Custom cables above all include the pigtail assembly. All you do to order an internal cable from the above table is the following:

1. Determine how many LVD devices you need to support. Order a cable from the above table with that many connectors, plus one (for the SCSI card).

2. Add a termination option, the GD1515.

The result will be a gorgeous TPO cable with pigtail and forced-perfect digital-active LVD terminator, ready for any LVD Ultra2, Ultra160, Ultra3, or Ultra320 application.

Note that internal termination is required for LVD buses, as currently manufactured LVD Cheetahs (or any other LVD drive built in compliance with the SCSI-3 LVD specification) do not include termination circuitry on their drive controllers.

The advantages of utilizing Granite devices for termination are significant, if only because configuration of internal SCSI devices is simplified: rather than puzzling over controller board jumper settings, you simply set the SCSI ID and rely on the Granite terminator to regulate termination power to the entire bus. Again, there is simply no other way to use LVD Cheetahs internally, unless you are using the twisted-pair LVD cable included with the Miles2 kit. If you intend to use the newest screaming drives from Seagate, you must order an internal pig-tailed TPO cable with an LVD terminator, or you must use the twisted-pair LVD cable with inline terminator included with the Miles2 kit, due to the lack of termination circuitry on all LVD Cheetah controllers.

Since termination must be provided at either end of a SCSI bus, and since the host (the SCSI Adapter Card in this case) provides termination at SCSI ID 7 in the case of an Ultra wide or LVD bus, a Granite Terminator may be used to provide termination throughout the remainder of the internal bus, working with the SCSI Adapter Card, which should be set for Automatic Termination. If you also attach SCSI devices externally via the 68-pin external connector on the SCSI board, you will also require a terminator to terminate the external end of the bus.

Granite terminators are engineered to work perfectly with Granite Teflon and TPO cables, insuring the fastest possible data transfers and rock-solid reliability. When building an internal RAID, we find that they are absolutely mandatory.

50-pin IDC .050 Teflon Cable - Perfect for Fast SCSI-2 & Ultra Internal Hard Drives, CD-ROM, Jaz, Zip, & CD-R!

Note:

The above 50-pin internal Teflon cables work well for most narrow Fast SCSI-2 and Ultra applications when substituting for OEM PVC cabling included in most mass-produced computers. IDC connectors are standard 50-pin plugs that interface with standard 8-bit narrow SCSI connectors typically found on the backplanes of internal hard drives, CD-ROMs, Jaz drives, Zip drives, etc. The cables above include an initial connector followed by 18" of premium cabling before the next connector, as shown in the case of Granite part GD6120 below. This 18" length is intended to permit easy routing around internal chassis structures. The first IDC connector on these cables may be plugged into the Fast SCSI-2 connector found on the Main Logic Board (MLB) of most Macs (labelled "Controller" below), or into the internal 50-pin interface on most Ultra SCSI boards, the Initio Miles Bluenote included.

Granite part GD6120, with three internal Centronics 50-pin connectors separated by 18" and 12". Perfect for supporting two internal SCSI devices.

The second and successive connectors on the 50-pin internal cables above are all separated by 12" of premium Teflon cabling. The 12" separation between SCSI devices is the optimum distance for minimizing reflection on the SCSI bus. It is possible to shrink the distance between connectors to 8", but experience has shown that 12" is optimum from the standpoint of minimizing reflection and the ability to twist a connector around when necessary. Although cabling distances are a concern, particularly in the case of longer cables with multiple connectors, we have found that utilizing Granite SCSI Terminators often enables gorgeous performance beyond 3 meters total cable length. Your mileage may vary. We recommend keeping cable lengths as short as possible, given 18" of initial separation between the first two connectors and 12" separation between successive devices. If you require longer cable distances, or need to connect more than three or four finicky devices, you will wish to consider adding a pig-tail connector and Granite terminator, as discussed below.

The optional 50-pin Centronics Connector Assembly for Terminator may be attached at either end of any of the above cables by a 3"-6" pigtail so that Granite's Active-Digital Terminators can be utilized insidethe Mac, conditioning and terminating an internal SCSI bus.

Since termination must be provided at either end of a SCSI bus, and since the host (the MLB in this case) provides termination at SCSI ID 7 in the case of a Fast SCSI-2 bus, a Granite Terminator may be used to provide termination at the opposite end of the bus, just beyond the first SCSI device, typically the boot drive at SCSI ID 0.

The advantages of utilizing Granite hardware for termination are significant, if only because configuration of internal SCSI devices is simplified: rather than puzzling over controller board jumper settings, you simply set the SCSI ID and disable termination on your internal SCSI devices, relying on the Granite Terminator to regulate termination power to the entire bus.

But the most significant reason to use custom Granite Teflon ribbon cables with the Granite terminator internally is because the combination yields a SCSI bus which will work reliably over longer distances, even with multiple connectors and multiple devices. If you have multiple internal devices, and can't escape those bedeviling SCSI gremlins, a custom Granite cable with a Granite terminator will probably solve your problems. At MacGurus, we dispense with PVC cabling altogether: Granite Teflon ribbon cabling just works better, and eliminates cabling as a possible culprit when troubleshooting long, complicated buses.

And there are other advantages: the Granite LED Remote can be routed outside the Mac so you can monitor the status and functioning of the internal SCSI bus, and it should be remembered that Granite Terminators are engineered to work perfectly with Granite Teflon cables, insuring the fastest possible data transfers and rock-solid reliability. Again, we use them ourselves. But then, we have to admit that Granite LED Remotes don't just work real good and look real cool, they enable total status on drives and your SCSI bus at a glance, kind of like SCSI tachometers. Total geek chic.

68-pin MicroD .025 Teflon Cable - Perfect for Internal single-ended Ultra wide RAID !

Note:

These cables are for a mostly obsolete bus specification. UltraWide SCSI has been completely replaced by LVD Ultra160 and Ultra320. No current host cards are manufactured in this spec and the cables and this writeup are mostly for our information. Although the cables are readily available we recommend that current technology is such a significant inprovement that you don't consider adding to your UltraWide SCSI hardware.

The above 68-pin internal Teflon cables excel in wide Ultra SCSI roles when substituting for the marginal PVC cables included with the Adaptec 2940UW, 3940UW, or ATTO single-ended Ultra wide boards. The Gurus emphasize that Teflon is appropriate for single-ended Ultra wide and for Differential (aka high-voltage differential or passive differential) buses: for Ultra2 or LVD, we strongly recommend Thermal Plastic Olefin (TPO), below.

Sixty-eight-pin MicroD connectors are standard 68-pin Ultra wide plugs that interface with all standard 16-bit wide SCSI connectors typically found on the backplanes of internal wide Ultra hard drives, some CD-ROMs, some tape drives, and some internal slide scanners. The cables above include an initial connector followed by 18" of premium cabling before the next connector. This 18" length is intended to permit easy routing around internal chassis structures, as well as to minimize signal reflection.

The first 68-pin connector on these cables may be plugged into the 68-pin interface on the JackHammer, the Adaptec 2940UW, either of the two 68-pin interfaces on the dual-channel 3940UW SCSI Adapter, the internal 68-pin connector(s) on the ATTO single-channel or dual-channel Ultra wide SCSI board, or the 68-pin internal connector on the Initio Miles.

The second and successive connectors on the 68-pin internal cables above are all separated by 12" of premium Teflon cabling. The 12" separation between SCSI devices is the optimum distance for minimizing reflection between SCSI devices. It is possible to shrink the distance between connectors to 8", but experience has shown that 12" is optimum from the standpoint of minimizing reflection and preserving the ability to twist a connector around when necessary.

Although Ultra wide cabling distances are a concern, particularly in the case of longer cables with multiple connectors, we have found that utilizing Granite SCSI Terminators on custom pig-tails enables gorgeous performance well-beyond 1.5 meters total cable length. To order a cable with a pigtail and terminator, select your cable above, and select a termination option with a GD1636 Remote LED Indicator.

A sample order might include one GD8975, and one GD4246/6814/1910, with one GD1636. The result would be a gorgeous Granite Teflon internal ribbon cable delivered to your office with a total of three 68-pin internal connectors for your SCSI card and two internal drives, and one external 68-pin connector on a three-inch pigtail with a Granite forced-perfect, digital-active terminator. There is no better cabling and termination option for single-ended Ultra wide devices.

Longer Granite cables are available, supporting more internal devices than the six supported by the GD5000 above. We simply see few uses for them, Differential buses excepted, and so do not list them here. If you are running a long Differential bus and require longer cabling, please contact a MacGurus systems consultant for pricing and availability. If you plan to run Ultra2 drives in Ultra2 (LVD) mode off appropriate Ultra2 SCSI boards, please order from the TPO price table above.

Again: Teflon cables are appropriate for use in Ultra wide scenarios only; for Ultra2, MacGurus recommends Thermal Plastic Olefin (TPO), sold below.

Can't Make Your Ultra2, Ultra160, Ultra3 or Ultra320 Drives Work? We Can Help

Replacing the standard PVC cabling that came with your Mac is one popular use for the Granite cabling discussed above, while another is the internal installation of Ultra320 Drives and LVD SCSI Adapters, to reap the benefits of the beastly system boost typically delivered by transitioning to a phat LVD SCSI subsystem. This option in particular is attractive now that Apple is shipping the Sawtooth G4 Power Macs with wimpy IDE drives. And now that LVD is finally available for the Mac, it just makes no sense to cripple your data transfers by using second-rate, inferior PVC cables.

It is possible to use Granite Teflon or Thermal Plastic Olefin (TPO) cabling in other scenarios, however, including in the design of external enclosures for external RAID or external Ultra or LVD drives. Cabling designed for those purposes is sold on our Burly Enclosures page.

Did we mention that these cables are warranted for life?

The Gurus Certify
These Cables Rock