Power Voltage Requirements
Small cable drive connectors from the power supply provide power to
the floppy, Hard Disk Drive (HDD), and the CD-ROM. The cable connectors
have a female 4-pin plug that connects to a male 4-pin connector at
the rear of each drive. The pin-outs or wire scheme are color-coded in
order to identify the proper voltages of the wires.
Two different power voltages are
required for the proper functioning of these drives. The circuit board
and the logic chips that each drive uses are designed to use the +5v
power. The drive motors use the +12v power.
Connecting the Drives
Attaching the power cables to the drives is simple because all the
connectors are keyed and therefore can only be inserted one way.
- Floppy drive – Identify the proper connector that goes with the
3.5" drive. These connectors are usually the smallest plugs
coming out of the power supply. Push the plugs in gently. Do not rock
them back and forth to secure a connection.
- HDD and CD-ROM – Identify the proper power connectors for
these drives. They are larger than those for the floppy, and on these
power plugs sometimes the labels will be P1, P2, P3, and so on. They are
harder to push in so rock them gently back and forth if needed until
they snap into place.
As always, double-check all of the work, making sure all power
plugs are properly inserted and secure.
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Lab
Activity (PDF, 12 KB) |
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In this lab,
students will install the floppy drive, hard drive,
and CD-ROM drive.
Students
will
also install the
ribbon cables for each drive. |
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Video
(2:48 min) |
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Installing the Floppy Drive, Hard Drive, and CD-ROM Drive |
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