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

From: Tech Support for IDE-CF (tech_at_ide-cf.info-for.us)
Date: 03/07/04 

Date: 7 Mar 2004 10:49:08 -0800

VWWall <vwall@DEADearthlink.net> wrote in message news:<Irv2c.25641$aT1.8077@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> Tech Support for IDE-CF wrote:
>
> > mru@kth.se (Måns Rullgård) wrote in message news:<yw1x7jxycn3e.fsf@kth.se>...
> >
> >>Larry Alkoff <nobody@nowhere.com> writes:
> >>
> >>
> >>>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.
> >
> >
> > If you mean the "key" pin, yes.
> >
> >
> >>>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.
> >
> >
> > 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.
>

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.

> Virg Wall

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