Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!rutgers!gatech!mcdchg!ddsw1!karl
From: karl@ddsw1.UUCP (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Hard drive / controller problems
Summary: Yep -- 10-16 twisted is a FLOPPY cable, not a HD
Message-ID: <1429@ddsw1.UUCP>
Date: 18 Jul 88 20:46:01 GMT
References: <222@psuhcx.psu.edu> <16800327@clio> <230@psuhcx.psu.edu> <4452@sphinx.uchicago.edu> <1393@ddsw1.UUCP> <248@psuhcx.psu.edu>
Reply-To: karl@ddsw1.UUCP (Karl Denninger)
Organization: Macro Computer Solutions, Inc., Mundelein, IL
Lines: 28

In article <248@psuhcx.psu.edu> wcf@psuhcx (Bill Fenner) writes:
>In article <1393@ddsw1.UUCP> karl@ddsw1.UUCP (Karl Denninger) writes:
>|
>|Note that floppy cables w/twists, while very similar in appearance, twist a
>|different number of wires.  DO NOT USE a twisted floppy cable for a HD --
>|all kinds of bad things can happen, although all you usually end up with is
>|a drive that doesn't work.
>
>Actually, I think this may be what happened to me.  From a quick count,
>it looks like 10-16 are the lines that are twisted.  Is this a floppy
>cable?  If so, that would definitely explain my problems, no? :-)

I've got a dual floppy cable right here in front of me -- and it's twisted
on pins 10-16....  This will definately NOT work for 2 hard disks.....

The HD cables, from what I remember, only twist 4 lines instead of 6,
although I don't remember the exact pins (we don't use them anymore if we
can help it... although once in a while our third-party service runs into
one of them).

Use a straight cable (or make one from Radio Shack parts -- yep, they have
everything you need including the 34-pin connectors!) and just set the drive
selects -- it's much less hassle.


--
Karl Denninger (ddsw1!karl) Data: (312) 566-8912, Voice: (312) 566-8910
Macro Computer Solutions, Inc.    "Quality solutions at a fair price"