CertiGuide to A+ (Core Hardware)  9  Chapter 0110:  Removable Media       9  III  Floppy Drives

Attaching a Floppy Disk Drive To a PC 1 Do “The Twist”

A ribbon cable that is attached the floppy disk controller to the floppy disk drive is a 34-wire ribbon cable and looks quite similar to an IDE ribbon cable. Often times you may find a floppy cable with five connectors on it, although typically it will only have three. On one end you will find a 34-pin connector that attaches to the floppy disk controller or motherboard.

Pin 1 on the cable is designated with a colored stripe, but it is often difficult to decipher where it lies on the controller or motherboard. Most modern motherboards and floppy cables will have a small key on the connector that prevents it being plugged in backwards.

The other four or two connectors on the cable, depending on which type of cable you have, are used to plug into the floppy disk drives. If you have a five-connector cable, you'll have two groups of one single edge connector and one 34-pin connector. The single edge connector is used for 5.25" floppy drives, and the 34-pin connector is used for 3.5" floppy drives.

Attaching a Floppy Disk Drive To a PC 1 Do “The Twist”