Thinkpads Forum

I am trying to mount a Compacttflash with a Puppy linux distro in an old 560x. I have a CF to 44 pin IDE adapter, but the HDD cable has a plug (purposely manufactured) in one of the pin holes, the one corresponding to the location on the 2.5" HDD. The CF-IDE adapter has all 44 pins. So you see my problem.

My question is, are all 560x cables this way? If so, anyone know for what purpose? I don't really see anyway to remove the small plug, and if I did, would it really work anyway?

So, anybody have any suggestions on how to mount this adapter, short of trying to find a new corresponding CF-IDE adapter, or another cable? If I removed the corresponding pin from the CF-IDE adapter would I run into problems with it's functionality?

Also, if anyone has a HDD cable for this model that has the pin hole uncovered and would like to sell it, please let me know.

Thanks.

I'm 99% sure that the "plug" on the cable is purely there as a key to prevent fitting "upside-down". You could safely (I mean electrically) remove the corresponding pin on the adapter. - but actually doing so is a bit tricky (mechanically). I've done it before with 40-pin IDE for 3.5" drives ... obviously its going to be a bit trickier still with the closer spacing of 44-pin .....

Get a stanley blade (Xacto blade in the US) and bend the pin a little (but try to make the bend happen close as possible to its "base". This needs to be done very carefully to avoid bending adjacent pins. Then bend it back again ... repeat many times, and eventually the pin will break off - hopefully leaving a minimal amount of "stub".

I think you'll find the adapter will then fit and work fine. .....