Can an ATA100 pin be cut so ATA133 cables will work?

[Larry Alkoff]

I have a number of ATA100 removable drive enclosures for IDE drives
that have 40 pin connectors. However the ATA133 cables I'd like to
use have one of those pins cut off - specifically the bottom middle
pin.

I'd like to cut this off so I can use the ATA133 cables but will this
affect the operation with ATA100 drives?

Thank you,
Larry Alkoff

 

[VWWall]

I have a number of ATA100 removable drive enclosures for IDE drives
that have 40 pin connectors. However the ATA133 cables I'd like to
use have one of those pins cut off - specifically the bottom middle
pin.

I'd like to cut this off so I can use the ATA133 cables but will this
affect the operation with ATA100 drives?

This is pin 20, and it's not used for any electrical connection.
That is the "key" pin. Motherboards were meant to have that
pin missing so that a cable connector with no socket at that position
can only be plugged in correctly. ATA100 and ATA133 have the same
specifications. You can remove the pin using either, as long as
the red stripe side goes to pin 1.

Virg Wall

 

[=?iso-8859-1?q?M=E5ns_Rullg=E5rd?=]

I have a number of ATA100 removable drive enclosures for IDE drives
that have 40 pin connectors. However the ATA133 cables I'd like to
use have one of those pins cut off - specifically the bottom middle
pin.

I'd like to cut this off so I can use the ATA133 cables but will this
affect the operation with ATA100 drives?

It's safer to make a hole in the plug on the cable.

 

[sooky grumper]

It's safer to make a hole in the plug on the cable.

I agree.

 

[Larry Alkoff]

This is pin 20, and it's not used for any electrical connection.
That is the "key" pin. Motherboards were meant to have that
pin missing so that a cable connector with no socket at that position
can only be plugged in correctly. ATA100 and ATA133 have the same
specifications. You can remove the pin using either, as long as
the red stripe side goes to pin 1.

Virg Wall

Virg I was under the wrong impression that pin 20 meant an ATA100
and no pin 20 meant ATA133.

In fact the cables marked ATA100 at Fry's all have pin 20
and the ones marked ATA133 do not.

But I fully understand how the missing pin "polarizes" the plug to
prevent incorrect insertion. Luckily I learned a long time ago that
the red line lives next to the power connection!

Thanks, I'll try cutting one off and see if it explodes. <g>

Larry

 

[Larry Alkoff]

It's safer to make a hole in the plug on the cable.

A very interesting idea but
the ATA133 cables are the best and most expensive.
I'd prefer not to not do surgery on those.

Larry

 

[=?iso-8859-1?q?M=E5ns_Rullg=E5rd?=]

A very interesting idea but the ATA133 cables are the best and most
expensive. I'd prefer not to not do surgery on those.

There's just a thin layer of plastic. Use a small knife or drill bit
to pierce it. Underneath it's just like the other pins, except the
metal is missing. It's much easier than removing a pin from the disk
enclosure. And are the cables really more expensive than the
enclosures?

 

[VWWall]

A very interesting idea but
the ATA133 cables are the best and most expensive.
I'd prefer not to not do surgery on those.

If made to spec the ATA100 and ATA133 are the same. I suspect some
cable makers used standard 40 pin connectors with a socket for every
pin. Removing the pin is easier than drilling a proper sized hole in
the correct place.

Virg Wall, K6EVE

 

[=?iso-8859-1?q?M=E5ns_Rullg=E5rd?=]

If made to spec the ATA100 and ATA133 are the same. I suspect some
cable makers used standard 40 pin connectors with a socket for every
pin. Removing the pin is easier than drilling a proper sized hole in
the correct place.

As I said in another post, there's only a thin layer of plastic that
needs to be pierced. It's really very easy.

 

[Tech Support for IDE-CF]

If you mean the "key" pin, yes.

It's safer to make a hole in the plug on the cable.

To do so would defeat the purpose of the "key" pin. I.e. plugging it
into an non ATA/IDE device. But anyway, it's hard to find any non
ATA/IDE device with 40 pins nowaday.

Actually, we are thinking about going one step further. By
cutting/blocking one more pin, we can avoid plugging the cable
backward (pin 1 vs. pin 40). We are just wondering which pin to cut
(on the header) and block (on the cable).

 

[kony]

As I said in another post, there's only a thin layer of plastic that
needs to be pierced. It's really very easy.

Yes, it is very easy, my choice instead of pulling pins.

If someone doesn't have such a tiny drill bit or a jeweler's screwdriver
to bore the hole then it can be done by heating up a needle, piercing the
spot, then (if necessary) taking a knife to trim off the excess plastic
that's remaining above the plane of the connector face.

 

[VWWall]

As I said in another post, there's only a thin layer of plastic that
needs to be pierced. It's really very easy.

The ones I tried had about 3/32" thick plastic. Not something that
anything other than a drill would have pierced. There was a metal
socket under it that was connected to the other blocked holes in the
other connectors. I've seen lots of variations on ATA100/133 cables.
One ATA33, (40 conductor), had a white plug in hole 20, only on the MB
connector. It was also the only connector with the plastic side key.

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them!

Virg Wall

 

[VWWall]

If you mean the "key" pin, yes.




To do so would defeat the purpose of the "key" pin. I.e. plugging it
into an non ATA/IDE device. But anyway, it's hard to find any non
ATA/IDE device with 40 pins nowaday.

Actually, we are thinking about going one step further. By
cutting/blocking one more pin, we can avoid plugging the cable
backward (pin 1 vs. pin 40). We are just wondering which pin to cut
(on the header) and block (on the cable).

Explain why cutting pin 20 on the header doesn't acconplish this? A
cable with only hole 20 blocked will fit only one way. The spec also
calls for a plastic side lug on the plug.

Virg Wall

 

[Tech Support for IDE-CF]

Explain why cutting pin 20 on the header doesn't acconplish this? A
cable with only hole 20 blocked will fit only one way. The spec also
calls for a plastic side lug on the plug.

Yes, with the combinations of proper "plug & header", it will.
However, most of the time, we (or our customers) have standard plugs
(not blocked). They often rely on the red stripe on the cable for pin
1. On the header, it is the right side of the bottom row. But which
is the bottom? It will be much easier to have a missing pin on either
side of the header, rather than right in the middle. That's just our
opinion.

 

[VWWall]

Yes, with the combinations of proper "plug & header", it will.
However, most of the time, we (or our customers) have standard plugs
(not blocked). They often rely on the red stripe on the cable for pin
1. On the header, it is the right side of the bottom row. But which
is the bottom? It will be much easier to have a missing pin on either
side of the header, rather than right in the middle. That's just our
opinion.

Just wish someone had applied that logic to floppy drive cables. I had
one that needed the lug cut off to go in the correct way.

Virg Wall

 

[=?iso-8859-1?q?M=E5ns_Rullg=E5rd?=]

Just wish someone had applied that logic to floppy drive cables. I
had one that needed the lug cut off to go in the correct way.

I had a floppy drive that required the key on the plug to face away
from a notch that fitted perfectly. It didn't require any cutting
though. At least floppy drives or controllers don't get damaged from
reversed cables.

 

[Gary Tait]

Yes, with the combinations of proper "plug & header", it will.
However, most of the time, we (or our customers) have standard plugs
(not blocked). They often rely on the red stripe on the cable for pin
1. On the header, it is the right side of the bottom row. But which
is the bottom? It will be much easier to have a missing pin on either
side of the header, rather than right in the middle. That's just our
opinion.

FWIW, Pin 1 ts reset, pin 2 is ground, and the next 16 pins are the
data lines.

Look on the plug, there will be a triangle on the side, on the end
with the red wire. The triangle points to pin 1. Also, the lug on the
plug is on the odd side of the connector.