Connecting a 5.25" floppy drive through IDE \ VOGONS

Connecting a 5.25" floppy drive through IDE

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First post, by ApolloBoy

Posted on 2011-06-15, 20:37

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So I picked up a 5.25" drive for my DOS/Windows 3.11 PC a few days ago, and I'm trying to figure out how to connect it to the motherboard so that I can actually use it. It uses a card edge connector and I can't seem to find any kind of adapter that would make it work with an IDE connector. Anyone have any ideas?

Reply 1 of 5, by Old Thrashbarg

Posted on 2011-06-15, 20:51

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Er, floppy drives don't work through IDE. You need an old-style floppy cable with the card-edge connector(s) on it, and connect it to the floppy port on the motherboard.

Reply 2 of 5, by Tetrium

Posted on 2011-06-15, 21:23

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Please don't mix the 40p IDE with the 34p Floppy interface. They are totally different!

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Reply 3 of 5, by BigBodZod

Posted on 2011-06-15, 21:44

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The OP maybe referring to the fact both use IDC type connector ports on the motherboard 😉

Of course the pin configuration is totally different.

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Reply 4 of 5, by TheMAN

Posted on 2011-06-16, 02:02

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99% of floppy drives are IDE, but they use the 34 pin connector... you need the right cable to connect that

Reply 5 of 5, by Old Thrashbarg

Posted on 2011-06-16, 02:18

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99% of floppy drives are IDE, but they use the 34 pin connector...

No, they are NOT IDE, in any way, shape or form. Just because they both connect with a cable to a pin header does not mean the two interfaces are anything close to similar. Floppy drives do not use the ATA interface, so they are not IDE by that definition. Nor do they use Integrated Drive Electronics, since they are controlled externally, so they do not fit that definition of IDE either.

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