Can floppy cable be cut?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Smith
  • Start date Start date
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John Smith

At least one of my PCs has an older floppy cable with connectors for the
"other" style of floppy (a real floppy?) drive - as it is quite bulky is it
possible to cut the *last* one (only) off without upsetting the signals?
TIA

Keith
 
At least one of my PCs has an older floppy cable with connectors for the
"other" style of floppy (a real floppy?) drive - as it is quite bulky is it
possible to cut the *last* one (only) off without upsetting the signals?
TIA
Click to expand...

If you've got something to cut the cable with it is. I'm assuming you're
talking about the 5.25" drive connector. You can also remove the other one
if you're careful, and just be left with 2 connectors for 3.5" drives.
 
At least one of my PCs has an older floppy cable with connectors for the
"other" style of floppy (a real floppy?) drive - as it is quite bulky is it
possible to cut the *last* one (only) off without upsetting the signals?
TIA
Click to expand...

Absolutely fine. I find a decent pair of scissors does the job nicely.
Leave enough "spare" so you can pop some electrical insulation tape
over the end "just in case".
 
If you've got something to cut the cable with it is. I'm assuming you're
talking about the 5.25" drive connector. You can also remove the other one
if you're careful, and just be left with 2 connectors for 3.5" drives.
Click to expand...
I've cut cables with a single edge razor blade. You might test it out by cutting just
the edge connector off using the edge connector as a guide to the razor blade.
If that works out you might cut the extra ribbon cable off using the last pin-ed
(pinned just looks so strange) connector as a guide.
Double check that you haven't shorted 2 lines together.
Probably be easiest to lay the line across a piece of wood or something before
cutting
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Conor said:
Absolutely fine. I find a decent pair of scissors does the job nicely.
Leave enough "spare" so you can pop some electrical insulation tape
over the end "just in case".
Click to expand...
Scissors work just fine, but, could you please unplug the cable from the
mainboard, first?
 
At least one of my PCs has an older floppy cable with connectors for the
"other" style of floppy (a real floppy?) drive - as it is quite bulky is it
possible to cut the *last* one (only) off without upsetting the signals?
TIA
Click to expand...

The "sharp blade flush with the connector" method works well. Just be sure that
you leave the twist in the cable between the motherboard and the floppy drive, or
your drive will become B: instead of A:. Although some BIOS have provision to swap
them, it will not always work.

Alternatively, there are many suppliers for round, single device floppy cables. I
have seen them for as little as $3, and they are very easy to route. They come as
short as 8".
 
George Pontis said:
says...

The "sharp blade flush with the connector" method works well. Just be sure that
you leave the twist in the cable between the motherboard and the floppy drive, or
your drive will become B: instead of A:. Although some BIOS have provision to swap
them, it will not always work.

Alternatively, there are many suppliers for round, single device floppy cables. I
have seen them for as little as $3, and they are very easy to route. They come as
short as 8".
Click to expand...

I've been "knifeing off" the old 5.25 /1.2 mb "A" connectors for years.
Click to expand...
 
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