Computer Assembly - How To Assemble A PC
Install The Hard Drive And Floppy Drive
The Antec KS282 comes with a drive cage that makes floppy drive and hard drive installation a little easier. The idea is that the drive cage can be removed from the computer case, the drives mounted inside the drive cage, and then the drive cage put back inside the computer case. This makes it a little easier to get to both sides of the drive while inserting the mounting screws. Here is the location of the drive cage.
Moving the chrome lever on the drive cage to the left releases the drive cage and it comes right out. You might want to practice with the drive cage empty until you feel comfortable releasing it and replacing it back into the computer case. The lever can be a bit stiff. And you might find it a little difficult to put the drive cage back in as easily as it came out. You have to be careful to use the notches on both sides of the drive cage. It's easy to miss the notches on the other side of the drive cage and if you do then you'll find after locking it that the other side is not latched into anything so it's kind of hanging down.
Remove the drive cage and install the floppy drive and hard drive into the cage using the corresponding mounting screws The floppy drive has to be installed in the second position from the top so that it lines up with the spot on the outside of the case where the floppy disk can be inserted into the drive. The hard drive can go into any of the other three slots, but I put it in the bottom slot to maximize airflow. The bottom of the drive cage is largely open, so that helps with airflow, too.
Exactly how the hard drive is oriented front-to-back in the drive cage doesn't matter to much. But for the floppy drive it does matter. The reason is because the floppy drive will be externally accessed, so the floppy drive needs to be situated such that a floppy disk can be easily inserted. Even more important, the floppy drive has to be situated at an appropriate distance from the floppy disk release button on the outside of the case so that when pushed it will push against the floppy drive release button on the floppy drive itself. Once you have the floppy drive oriented front-to-back inside the drive cage so that the release button works then there should be no problem inserting and retrieving a floppy disk from outside the computer. The only way to know exactly where to tighten in the floppy drive is trial and error. If the floppy drive is oriented too far away from the release button on the computer case then when pushed it will be totally loose and obviously doing nothing. If the floppy drive is oriented too close to the release button on the computer case then when pushed it will not move and appear stuck. But if the floppy drive is oriented such that the release button works and will pop out the floppy disk then that's good enough. Here is the drive cage locked back into the computer.
The floppy drive and hard drive use separate ribbon cables. The ribbon cables are included with the EPoX 8RDA+ motherboard in the package shown below. The ribbon cable for the floppy drive is coarser than the ribbon cable for the hard drive. The floppy drive ribbon cable only has two connectors, one at each end and both are black, whereas the hard drive ribbon cable has three, one at each end and one in between using colors blue, gray and black. The hard drive ribbon cable that comes with the EPoX 8RDA+ has a paper label at each connector indicating it's use. For example, the hard drive ribbon cable states "System ULTRA ATA CABLE" on one connector which is the one that connects to the motherboard. These paper labels that are attached to each connector should be removed prior to installing the ribbon cable.
Using the floppy drive ribbon cable, connect the floppy drive to the motherboard. The two ends of the floppy drive ribbon cable are both black, so color coding is not used to distinguish which end goes on the motherboard and which ends goes to the floppy drive. The end that goes on the motherboard is the end without the split-and-twist in the cable near the connector. The ribbon cable connects to the EPoX 8RDA+ motherboard as shown in the blue circle.
The floppy drive connector is keyed so it can only be plugged in one way to either the motherboard or floppy drive, but I've managed to plug it in wrong (without knowing it) and so have a lot of other people. To ensure the ribbon cable is plugged in correctly, one side of the cable has a red stripe. This red stripe identifies pin 1 on the ribbon cable. It is easy to see in this picture running along the top of the ribbon cable. This is particularly helpful when plugging the cable into the floppy drive as described in the next paragraphs. For plugging the floppy drive ribbon cable into the motherboard, make sure that the tab on the connector (circled in yellow) lines up with the notch on the cable socket on the motherboard (also pointed out with a yellow line).
Two connections need to be made to the rear of the floppy drive. In the picture below on the left, the socket circled in blue is for the power connector. The socket circled in red is for the ribbon cable. The picture on the right is a close-up of these two connections, and also shows the pin 1 indicator circled in yellow. There should be some marking on the back of the floppy drive where the ribbon cable connects to indicate the location of pin 1. It could be a number "1" as shown in this picture or some other means. For example, another floppy drive I have indicates it with a small triangle underneath the socket for the ribbon cable. When the floppy drive ribbon cable is plugged in, the red stripe on the floppy drive ribbon cable should be on the same side as the pin 1 indicator for the ribbon cable socket.
The end of the floppy drive ribbon cable that plugs into the cable socket in the back of the floppy drive has a split-and-twist in the cable near the connector. The connection is keyed so it should only be possible to plug it in one way into the ribbon cable socket in the back of the floppy drive, but as keys go it's not so great and many have managed to unknowingly plug it in incorrectly, including myself. To be really sure it's connectecd properly, verify the pin 1 marking on the floppy drive (circled in yellow) aligns with the red-stripe marking the pin 1 of the ribbon cable (also circled in yellow). The enlarged picture shows both very well.
Select a floppy drive power connector from the bundle of power connectors coming out of the power supply like the one shown and connect it to the rear of the floppy drive in the power socket. This connectors is also keyed so it can only plug in one way - and it really can only be plugged in one way.
This picture shows the rear of the hard drive where the connectors plug in. There are three sections on the rear of the hard drive. The leftmost section circled in red is the IDE socket where the IDE cable connects. The jumper pins are in the middle. The jumper is set for "Cable Select", which means the computer will automatically recognize the master/slave role of the hard drive based on which IDE connector is used for it. The rightmost section circled in blue is the power receptacle for the power connector.
Using the hard drive ribbon cable that came with the EPoX 8RDA+ motherboard, connect the hard drive to the motherboard. The blue connector on the IDE cable plugs into the IDE 1 socket on the motherboard. The connector is keyed so it can only be plugged in one way (and the key works pretty well). The third picture shows that the tab on the connector should be aligned with the notch on the hard drive socket.
The black connector on the hard drive ribbon cable plugs into the IDE socket on the hard drive. The connector is keyed so it can only be plugged in one way. Select a 4-pin power connector from the bundle of power connectors coming out of the power supply like the one shown and connect it to the rear of the hard drive in the power receptacle. This connector is also keyed so it can only plug in one way.
Here's how the floppy drive and hard drive connections look with both drives mounted in the drive cage, showing the connections made for the floppy drive ribbon cable, floppy drive power connector, hard drive ribbon cable, hard drive power connector and hard drive jumper.
Here's how the drive cage looks now re-mounted with the floppy drive and hard drive added and connected.
And here's how the interior of the computer case looks now with the CD-ROM, floppy drive and hard drive added. Of course, you really can't see a whole lot of them since they are inside their bays. Even so it's starting to look a bit cluttered inside, isn't it? Notice I've tried as much as possible to keep the ribbon cables and power cords from interfering with the air flow, either by keeping them out of the flow or laying them flat.
My complete recommendations for building a computer with quality components at unbeatable
prices is on my home page at
Build A Computer
Like My Super PC - Cost To Build A Computer. Here again are the recommendations for a hard drive!
| Description
| Where I Would Get It Today
| Today's Price
| Comments
|
| Western Digital Caviar SE 160GB 7200rpm Parallel ATA100 |
Amazon
|
$71.25 |
Free shipping! OEM version. Standard IDE/PATA (parallel ATA) hard drive.
Clicking the link takes you directly to it.
|
| Western Digital Caviar SE 250GB 7200rpm Parallel ATA100 |
Amazon
|
$89.99 |
Free shipping! OEM version. Standard IDE/PATA (parallel ATA) hard drive.
Clicking the link takes you directly to it.
|
|
Back to My Super PC - Home Page
How To Build A Computer. Step By Step Instructions To Assemble. Skip To Any Assembly Step.
Back to My Super PC - Home Page
© 2001-2008, Rob Williams, all rights reserved.
|
|
The floppy drive and hard drive use separate ribbon cables. The ribbon cables are included with the EPoX 8RDA+ motherboard in the package shown below. The ribbon cable for the floppy drive is coarser than the ribbon cable for the hard drive. The floppy drive ribbon cable only has two connectors, one at each end and both are black, whereas the hard drive ribbon cable has three, one at each end and one in between using colors blue, gray and black. The hard drive ribbon cable that comes with the EPoX 8RDA+ has a paper label at each connector indicating it's use. For example, the hard drive ribbon cable states "System ULTRA ATA CABLE" on one connector which is the one that connects to the motherboard. These paper labels that are attached to each connector should be removed prior to installing the ribbon cable.
Using the floppy drive ribbon cable, connect the floppy drive to the motherboard. The two ends of the floppy drive ribbon cable are both black, so color coding is not used to distinguish which end goes on the motherboard and which ends goes to the floppy drive. The end that goes on the motherboard is the end without the split-and-twist in the cable near the connector. The ribbon cable connects to the EPoX 8RDA+ motherboard as shown in the blue circle.
The floppy drive connector is keyed so it can only be plugged in one way to either the motherboard or floppy drive, but I've managed to plug it in wrong (without knowing it) and so have a lot of other people. To ensure the ribbon cable is plugged in correctly, one side of the cable has a red stripe. This red stripe identifies pin 1 on the ribbon cable. It is easy to see in this picture running along the top of the ribbon cable. This is particularly helpful when plugging the cable into the floppy drive as described in the next paragraphs. For plugging the floppy drive ribbon cable into the motherboard, make sure that the tab on the connector (circled in yellow) lines up with the notch on the cable socket on the motherboard (also pointed out with a yellow line).
Two connections need to be made to the rear of the floppy drive. In the picture below on the left, the socket circled in blue is for the power connector. The socket circled in red is for the ribbon cable. The picture on the right is a close-up of these two connections, and also shows the pin 1 indicator circled in yellow. There should be some marking on the back of the floppy drive where the ribbon cable connects to indicate the location of pin 1. It could be a number "1" as shown in this picture or some other means. For example, another floppy drive I have indicates it with a small triangle underneath the socket for the ribbon cable. When the floppy drive ribbon cable is plugged in, the red stripe on the floppy drive ribbon cable should be on the same side as the pin 1 indicator for the ribbon cable socket.
The end of the floppy drive ribbon cable that plugs into the cable socket in the back of the floppy drive has a split-and-twist in the cable near the connector. The connection is keyed so it should only be possible to plug it in one way into the ribbon cable socket in the back of the floppy drive, but as keys go it's not so great and many have managed to unknowingly plug it in incorrectly, including myself. To be really sure it's connectecd properly, verify the pin 1 marking on the floppy drive (circled in yellow) aligns with the red-stripe marking the pin 1 of the ribbon cable (also circled in yellow). The enlarged picture shows both very well.
Select a floppy drive power connector from the bundle of power connectors coming out of the power supply like the one shown and connect it to the rear of the floppy drive in the power socket. This connectors is also keyed so it can only plug in one way - and it really can only be plugged in one way.
This picture shows the rear of the hard drive where the connectors plug in. There are three sections on the rear of the hard drive. The leftmost section circled in red is the IDE socket where the IDE cable connects. The jumper pins are in the middle. The jumper is set for "Cable Select", which means the computer will automatically recognize the master/slave role of the hard drive based on which IDE connector is used for it. The rightmost section circled in blue is the power receptacle for the power connector.
The black connector on the hard drive ribbon cable plugs into the IDE socket on the hard drive. The connector is keyed so it can only be plugged in one way. Select a 4-pin power connector from the bundle of power connectors coming out of the power supply like the one shown and connect it to the rear of the hard drive in the power receptacle. This connector is also keyed so it can only plug in one way.
Here's how the floppy drive and hard drive connections look with both drives mounted in the drive cage, showing the connections made for the floppy drive ribbon cable, floppy drive power connector, hard drive ribbon cable, hard drive power connector and hard drive jumper.
Here's how the drive cage looks now re-mounted with the floppy drive and hard drive added and connected.
And here's how the interior of the computer case looks now with the CD-ROM, floppy drive and hard drive added. Of course, you really can't see a whole lot of them since they are inside their bays. Even so it's starting to look a bit cluttered inside, isn't it? Notice I've tried as much as possible to keep the ribbon cables and power cords from interfering with the air flow, either by keeping them out of the flow or laying them flat.
Parts List [go]
