Powering SATA Drives With IDE Power Connection

[nick003]

Hello

I am installing two additional SATA hard drives to a machine that currently has two SATA drives already installed.

The only available power off of the power supply are two old style 4 pin molex connectors. The wire colors are Red, Orange, Yellow, and Black

The SATA power connector has the same wires with one exception; it has second Black.

I had an old power supply with 2 SATA connections and a long lead. I snipped it off and connected it to a 4 pin female molex connector, tying the two grounds together.

Before installing it in the intended machine, I threw together a system board and power supply and connected an old SATA drive to see if it would spin.

Glad I did; I smoked the drive.

Am I missing something? There are 4 Pin Molex to SATA power adapters available for purchase, so it can be done.

Any Ideas?

Thank you in advance.

Nick

 

[laviniuc]

considering how cheap they are you might wanna buy a dozen instead of smoking another drive.

edit: if you look at the adapter:
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/12-200-061-02.jpg
the 2 black wires come from the middle pair of the molex and go to the middle/left pins of the sata. i'm guessing you hooked them wrong? also the yellow red are inversed look at the direction of the L on the sata and the molex from the pic and yours

 

[nick003]

considering how cheap they are you might wanna buy a dozen instead of smoking another drive.

It wasn't about saving money, it was about getting it done immediately.

 

[InvalidError]

The orange wire on SATA power cables is 3.3V. If you put 5V (red) on that, magic smoke may come out.

There is no orange/3.3V on the 4-pin HDD/FDD power connectors. Only 12V/yellow, 5V/red and 2x 0V/black.

 

[nick003]

The orange wire on SATA power cables is 3.3V. If you put 5V (red) on that, magic smoke may come out.

There is no orange/3.3V on the 4-pin HDD/FDD power connectors. Only 12V/yellow, 5V/red and 2x 0V/black.

Yes there is. I have pics. Trying to figure out how to post them.

 

[nick003]

The orange wire on SATA power cables is 3.3V. If you put 5V (red) on that, magic smoke may come out.

There is no orange/3.3V on the 4-pin HDD/FDD power connectors. Only 12V/yellow, 5V/red and 2x 0V/black.

http://s376.photobucket.com/user/nick0003/media/photo3_zpsyxt6pgam.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
http://s376.photobucket.com/user/nick0003/media/photo3_zpsyxt6pgam.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

 

[InvalidError]

Yes there is. I have pics. Trying to figure out how to post them.

On a normal molex connector, both middle wires are black/0V. So, assuming your molex connectors are wired correctly aside from not following the normal color code, you shorted whatever the HDD has on 3.3V to ground.