plugging an HDD into an IDE cable in the wrong direction

[yawnmoth]

I have a 2.5" ATA HDD that I'm trying to plug into a USB to 2.5" IDE
adapter, but, while the HDD is missing the top middle pin, the IDE
adapter is not. As such, I'm unsure of which orientation the cable
needs to be plugged in with. If I plug it in in the wrong direction
(upside down), do I risk damaging my HDD in some manner?

 

[Arno Wagner]

I have a 2.5" ATA HDD that I'm trying to plug into a USB to 2.5" IDE
adapter, but, while the HDD is missing the top middle pin, the IDE
adapter is not. As such, I'm unsure of which orientation the cable
needs to be plugged in with. If I plug it in in the wrong direction
(upside down), do I risk damaging my HDD in some manner?

The 2.5" connector has additional pins for power.
Th GND pin goes into a GND signal line on 180 deg. turn.
The 5V lines go into signal lines, which _should_ be able to
tolerate the level, even if no power is applied. However
you should not operate more than a few second like this,
just to be safe or better make sure you have it the right
way from the beginning. Once you have that, you can close
the marker hole, e.g. with a broken-off needle. (I used that
to successfully to prevent further confusion.)

The power pins are sometimes marked on the drive top. There should
be a mark at pin 1 on the HDD which is on the opposite end from the
power lines. Pin 1 also should be marked on the adapter. Match these
(and be careful, the pins are fragile).

http://www.digitaldingus.com/reviews/macally/attachingdrive.jpg
shows the top of a 2.5" HDD. The lower ricght corner expains
that PIN1 is next to the freestanding jumper block. When in
doubt, consult the HDD data sheet or product manual (usually
available on the web).

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

I have a 2.5" ATA HDD that I'm trying to plug into a USB to 2.5" IDE
adapter, but, while the HDD is missing the top middle pin, the IDE
adapter is not. As such, I'm unsure of which orientation the cable
needs to be plugged in with.

You'll likely find that pin one is identified on the drive. That may be by something
quite subtle like a square land around pin 1 on the printed circuit board.

Or you may well be able to see that from the hard drive manufacturer's data sheet.

Which drive is it ?

If I plug it in in the wrong direction (upside down),
do I risk damaging my HDD in some manner?

2.5" drives do have the power supplied via the ribbon cable, so its not a great idea.

It shouldnt normally kill the drive but its better to get the orientation right.