That's because it connects to an existing 5.25" drive
> is there any hardware you know of that replicates the drive itself?
Why would you build a device to emulate a device that already exists, when all you need to do is communicate with it?
I don't want to have to buy used gear off eBay, and wouldn't need to for 3.5" disks or drives - you can actually find people producing new stock.
Why doesn't 5.25" hardware get the same treatment?