Question Multimedia drive not working with any connector orientation

[MajorPager]

I have this dual floppy/multimedia drive installed in one of my computers and the multimedia part isn't being detected.

Here is the connector, (ignore the dirt and dust)

Here is the port on the board

I have placed the connector on the bottom, top, and slightly to the right on the top and it still won't do anything. It also only works with the letters pointing down since it shorts it out causing the system to not start, yet the system does power on while facing up and to the right on the top but still isn't sensed.

I don't know if it doesn't work or not but any ideas as to why this is occurring?
Currently searching for a voltmeter to test the pins.

 

[Lutfij]

BIOS updates pending on you motherboard? Speaking of which, what is the make and model of you motherboard? Make and model of your multimedia device? Also, what OS are you working with? Often times when your chipset drivers aren't communicating with your devices and the OS, is when you have a particular device not respond.

You should orient the connector with respect to this diagram;

 

[MajorPager]

The mainboard I have is an NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI. I was trying it with XP Pro and XP MCE 05' and I wasn't getting anything, I could try Vista or 7 real quick though.

I also got a readout of 7.20-7.60 volts (Not sure if the readings are accurate) for both left most pins so the connector is supposed to be facing down.

I don't think that there are anymore BIOS updates for my unit as it was used for a long while before I got a hold of it, and I think I can confirm it since I think this board required an update to install an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 which I did without installing any updates myself.

 

[stonecarver]

Can you show a picture of the device and the flow of cable from motherboard to the floppy/ USB. Front and rear of device.

What's throwing me off is the color code of wires in your picture. Standard color is red, white, green and black for USB to motherboard 2.0

The only ones I have seen that mix it up is when you use a pigtail for a 3.0 device to a 3.0 to USB 2.0 conversion wire to motherboard.

 

[MajorPager]

Mitsumi branded apparently.

The USB cable is built into the back.

Says USB 2.0 on the front.

 

[lordmogul]

What's throwing me off is the color code of wires in your picture. Standard color is red, white, green and black for USB to motherboard 2.0

While that is indeed the standard for USB, when you have two ports running through the same cable, many manufacturers color the second set of wires differently to help distinguishing them.

 

[Randi Poling]

Its also possible that the device is just dead unless you have another system to try it in.

 

[Paperdoc]

I would say you have a power issue. That cable connection you show is to a mobo USB2 header. The standard for such is that one port of that header can supply power at 5 VDC and up to 0.5 A current. The device involved includes sockets for both memory chips and a floppy drive. That floppy drive has a motor to spin disks and another to move its heads, and so the unit will DEFINITELY need more than 0.5 A to operate. One set of specs I came across for a common 3½" floppy drive said it needs 0.7 A current to spin and seek. In fact, it may require a 12 VDC power supply for the floppy part of it. Your photo of the back of the unit shows NO connection to any other point.

Your photos shows two rear connectors. The smaller one at top corner has 4 pins. That appears to be a mini-Molex that was the common power input connector for 3½" floppy drives. Many PSU's had one or two female versions of this on their output cables, so look for that in your system. If you do not have one, look for a "normal" 4-pin female Molex output connector - it MAY be on the same wires from the PSU that have SATA power output connectors. You can buy a simple adapter to "convert" a standard 4-pin Molex female to a mini-Molex like this (a 4-pack)

https://www.amazon.com/ThtRht-Connector-Convertor-Extension-Component/dp/B0CLD7YRWC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3EIVF1XA8ABSJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.8ByPFZqsIGx4hTqbSSWUJcZbJ0cFgvYNw7256bHmM80sagtJgHN-ZQeQzmYwhaJdzb4OJC-rD9yJWWueYbZGMqiEpESg0zr3tt6NkJio9ymvlLzk9WfeTgA6G57KDBWM2FfHAX92kn8VN76OY9udxYukhcioqsm--KR9LF3cGwsOade6yyQdpw5FSUJKhCy9TRnGxOj4FXzwFQ8I2P5Oo3b8OinJlX96ZA7yOi7eY8c.td5CcdgUmcODQ-nUYX4UYk9xS40DsZS42RtELpbfw-w&dib_tag=se&keywords=adapter+Molex+mini-molex&qid=1726498933&sprefix=adapter+molex+mini-molex,aps,95&sr=8-1

Either way, you must connect an adequate power supply to this combo unit for it to work . Considering the nature of this unit - two different groups of functions, of which one MUST have a good power supply - it is LIKELY that the unit does NOT rely on power from the USB2 connection cable. The USB2 connection is used only for data transfer, and all power for the unit comes from the mini-Molex connection to the PSU.

Edit: late added thought
That combo unit includes a standard Mitsumi model D63119 3½" floppy drive which has its own standard data communication system. I doubt very much that the builders added a way to use USB2 instead of that for data transfers with the mobo - they would intend that you use that normal interface. That means the USB2 connection is used only for the several memory sticks the front slots can accept. So, IF you plan to actually use the floppy drive, you also will need to connect a ribbon cable for a 3½" floppy drive to the very wide socket on the drive bottom edge and them to a floppy drive header on the mobo IF you have one. Further hint: IF you do that, before trying an old floppy in the drive, use a drive CLEANER to clean the unit, especially the heads. Accumulated dirt trapped under a head can scratch a floppy surface and ruin it so the disk is unreadable.