Gerry's stuff
  • Gerry's web page
  • My 'Stimpy' project
    • Hardware elements
    • Cables and sleeving >
      • Final sleeving
    • Modding the power supply
    • Adding vinyl foil
    • Case lighting (new!)
    • System upgrades >
      • GA-880GA-UD3H systemboard
      • Corsair H50 water cooler installation
      • Floppy support is lacking!
      • Changing heatsinks
      • Stimpy gets a face change
      • Power supply upgrade
      • Liitle things
    • YASBU - Yet Another System Board Upgrade!
    • A Nerds life before Stimpy
  • Bike
    • Adding a front derailleur
    • Bike wheels
    • Bicycle Apps
  • Oasis/Odyssey Minivan
    • Odyssey Minivan
    • Sliding Door roller repair
    • Sliding Door replacement
  • Blog
  • testing new standard Blog
  • testing new Disqus Blog

When did floppy controllers drop support for a second drive?!

I was dismayed to find out that this motherboard supports just one floppy diskette. No second floppy!  What am I to do? I want them both. No, I need​ both floppies!

My Dell D series Latitude (D600, now D830) has an optional 3-1/2 inch floppy that fits into the media bay (in place of the optical drive) and can also connect externally with a mini-B USB cable. How about replacing the slim floppy in the media reader with a USB version?

I can keep the 5-1/4 inch floppy on the 34 pin cable.  Replace my dual floppy cable and custom build a new single device cable to connect it to the motherboard, rounded and sleeved. Cannibalized a factory made UV floppy cable to get the connector hoods, and used (non-UV) blue connectors from another floppy cable. And by running the USB floppy and media reader cables together, I clean up the look inside the case as well!
Picture
Inside the Media Reader, the floppy drive has a ribbon cable connecting to a board with the mini-berg power connector and 34 pin floppy connector.
Picture
34 pin floppy drive removed. Ordered a USB cable with 4 pin DuPont header on one end, mini-B connector on the other end. Tore apart a Dell media bay floppy and fit the interface board into the case.  Used electrical tape to prevent shorting the board on to the tray.

Sleeve the two cables together and they both plug into one header.  Reassembled and it looks like it was made that way!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Floppy and power cables are removed, and only the one sleeved USB cable remains for both the memory card reader and the 3-1/2" floppy drive. Now I need to redo the remaining power cables and clean up that wiring!
Picture
Floppy/Media Reader is in the bottom bay (darn dust-bunnies are everywhere!)
Previous
Liquid cooling
Next
Changing heatsinks
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Gerry's web page
  • My 'Stimpy' project
    • Hardware elements
    • Cables and sleeving >
      • Final sleeving
    • Modding the power supply
    • Adding vinyl foil
    • Case lighting (new!)
    • System upgrades >
      • GA-880GA-UD3H systemboard
      • Corsair H50 water cooler installation
      • Floppy support is lacking!
      • Changing heatsinks
      • Stimpy gets a face change
      • Power supply upgrade
      • Liitle things
    • YASBU - Yet Another System Board Upgrade!
    • A Nerds life before Stimpy
  • Bike
    • Adding a front derailleur
    • Bike wheels
    • Bicycle Apps
  • Oasis/Odyssey Minivan
    • Odyssey Minivan
    • Sliding Door roller repair
    • Sliding Door replacement
  • Blog
  • testing new standard Blog
  • testing new Disqus Blog