HP CD Writer Plus 7200e (Parallel)

This CD writer can be connected to PC using parallel port. It offered 1x-2x recording speed with up to 6x reading speed.

Inside case, it was typical IDE drive connected to Shuttle EPAT module to convert parallel port to IDE. And the rest of this page will be about EPAT / EPAT Plus (ECP/EPP-friendly and with better HDD support).

In Windows, after driver installation, EPAT will become visible as a limited IDE or SCSI controller so CD recorder will be visible by recording software as connected to computer. In Linux there's a module, but it probably doesn't work as every hardware older than few years in Linux. There were few (incompatible with each other) IDE modules: EPAT, EPEZ, EPIA, and SCSI: EPST and EPSA. Last EPEZ modules were in fact EPAT/EPAT Plus, installed in a board like KT Technology's Pocket HardDisk.
EPAT modules were used in many devices. There were card readers, tape streamers, magnetooptic drives, portable hard disks or just hard drive bay systems powered by parallel port EPAT/EPEZ/EPIA modules.

As for today (2013), HP still supplies driver downloads for this drive under "HP CD-Writer Plus External 7200e Drive" 
Not anymore, get manual and XP drivers here.

Manufacturer: HP

Type: CD writer
Capacity:  700MB


  EPAT Module

EPAT Module (External Parallel ATapi) converts typical bi-directional or EPP/ECP parallel port to IDE controller, which can handle up to 2 devices. I made many experiments with EPAT few years ago, building external hard disks, CD drives and other expansions with it.
The first thing if you plan to install 2 devices (Master/Slave): Only the same device types. You may run into problems when installing hard drive and CD-ROM/CD-RW drive. No 2 drivers may coexist without problems, so CD driver loaded first may prevent HDD driver to load and vice versa. As I remember, there was a method to install 2 drivers, allowing to have both HDD and CD drive in 2 letters, but this combination prevented any writing to HDD - it was read-only!

Power supply pinout (female mini DIN 5, typical 6-pin mini-DIN plug will work after breaking one pin):

1 - +12V DC, 0,4A
5,3 - +5V DC, 2,5A.
2,4, shield - GND.


Hard disk should contain one big partition. I remember 6GB disk was working well under Windows 98, as CD-ROM in different controller. In DOS it was possible to use EPAT by loading EPATHD or EPATCD drivers, there were 2 versions of each, dynamic loading EXE and static SYS, loadable from CONFIG.SYS only.
Windows 2K/XP - not tested. It may be just ATAPI-only driver, not ATA.
Windows 9x v.1.42 - It's for CD/CDR (ATAPI driver) (newest for Win9x CD)
Windows 9x v. 1.34 - It's for CD/CDR (ATAPI driver)
Windows ME v. 1.50 - It's for CD/CDR (ATAPI driver) Not tested.
Shuttle Connect-It versions 2.0 and 2.1 for Windows 9x - This probably will work with hard disks. Has EPATHD driver and convenient installer, which I never used :). Probably newest HDD drivers.
Windows 95 driver for EPAT and EPIA CD and HDD sold as ParaDrive Disk Subsystem. A newer driver  for Win95, EPAT tools and diagnostic programs are in DOS driver package for ParaDrive.
Windows 95 v.1.30 - It's only for CD, not for HDD.
DOS/Windows drivers for ParaDrive EPAT -  contains ver. 26/39 EPATHD (1996), EPATCD, many tools for EPAT and OS/2 and Windows NT driver.
DOS Driver for Pioneer External CD-ROM drivers - contains ver. 33/46 EPATHD (1997), EPATCD, CDMUSIC, CD tools.

DOS driver for LPT Flash reader driver has EPATHD ver. 48/68 (1998). Newest EPATHD for DOS, but no EPATCD nor tools.
OS/2 driver - CD-Only, not tested.