IDE Cables - Can i do this?

Conrad11 · 19 Jan 2008 at 15:05

I need some short IDE cables.

I have a couple of cables here with three ide connectors on them.

One connector is blue, one is grey and one is black.

I am wondering whether i can cut the cables and just use two connectors?

I want one cable where i just have the blue and grey connector (that length) and one cable where its just the grey and black connectors.....

....will this work, as these are the only IDE cables i have at the moment so i don't want to waste them.

Thanks.

ns400r · 19 Jan 2008 at 15:12

Yep, will be fine. Sharp blade along the final connector will slice off the excess.

IAmATeaf · 19 Jan 2008 at 15:41

Should work OK but there a few things you need to aware of.

When you decide to cut a connector off make sure that the plug that that will plug into the mobo and the drive have exactly the same orientation ie pin 1 of the IDE cable plugs into pin 1 of the mobo etc....

If the cables are the Cable Select type then this may or may not work depending on where you cut the cable, means you'll have to revert back to using the master/slave jumper on the drive.

Conrad11 · 19 Jan 2008 at 15:45

IAmATeaf said:
When you decide to cut a connector off make sure that the plug that that will plug into the mobo and the drive have exactly the same orientation ie pin 1 of the IDE cable plugs into pin 1 of the mobo etc....

I thought they were all the same - they have that little notch thingy on the top of the connector so you cant put it in the wrong way?

Dano · 19 Jan 2008 at 15:49

IAmATeaf said:
Should work OK but there a few things you need to aware of.

When you decide to cut a connector off make sure that the plug that that will plug into the mobo and the drive have exactly the same orientation ie pin 1 of the IDE cable plugs into pin 1 of the mobo etc....

He's removing a connector not adding one...

If the cables are the Cable Select type then this may or may not work depending on where you cut the cable, means you'll have to revert back to using the master/slave jumper on the drive.

Won't make any difference at all.

Skeeter · 19 Jan 2008 at 18:27

You can get IDE cables for pennies... just chop them up and try it.

IAmATeaf · 19 Jan 2008 at 21:56

Suppose I should have checked an IDE cable before posting

I was under the impression that the connector that plugs into the mobo actually had the connector rotated by 180 degrees.