Which asshole designed this proprietary connector? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 08:44:48 am
content: So, I'm trying to re-install Windows on a POS terminal after replacing the old hard drive with an SSD. Sounds simple enough right? Wrong!For 2 days now I've been trying to work out why the hard disk is intermittently being recognised by the BIOS. I managed to get it up and running long enough to install Windows and some drivers until it stopped responding again.I've eliminated the drive itself and suspect it's a cable fault. What do I find? A ridiculous proprietary connector which combines SATA, power and who knows what else, which connects to a riser board with regular SATA connectors. Then what do we have right next to the crazy connector? Regular SATA data ports (but no power). WHAT THE?! Why include regular SATA ports as well, but no regular power ports?!?!I suspect that one of those ridiculously thin and fragile wires is the cause of the problem. It's essentially one big long 46-pin connector that breaks off into 4-5 different cable looms for various things. The designer should be shot! Honestly, the C-word comes to mind!(The wires you see leading off the top of the photo are the SATA/Power pins which connect to a PCB that the hard disk plugs into. The rest I have NFI - They might as well have silk screenedCN1-"Stuff"next to it.)For those playing along at home, the machine is anAdvanPOS CM-5200

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:07:32 am
content: Wow, that's gonna be noisy as f***... almost all differential signaling standards (LVDS, HDMI, SATA, etc.) require shielded cables for operation. It doesn't take much noise, even/especially inside a computer, to blow the common mode rejection range of those transceivers.Is that just common PVC hookup wire? At least it's in twisted pairs. That thing is made to fail, though.Tim

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:14:10 am
content: if you can find or redraw the cable schematic, it may not be too hard to make your own, or go to a custom cable house... or AdvanPOS for a replacement.The main connector doesn't seem to be anything special - a standard 40-way Berg/IDC/ribbon female.I'd guess the original requirement was reduced BOM for assembly, but they give you the SATA as standalone connectors anyway.How about do away with the bundled SATA wires, and bypass them with a standard SATA lead?- or identify and repair the broken conductor... not the end of the world.Good luck.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:16:16 am
content: Quote from: SL4P on March 19, 2015, 09:14:10 amThis is what I'm thinking. I'll just need to find SATA power from somewhere.

author: Scrts
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:22:51 am
content: Quote from: Halon on March 19, 2015, 08:44:48 amBecause these hard drives were popular:And these too:

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:24:45 am
content: The drama is, all the power comes in via external 12v. There is no separate PSU inside this machine. Everything is off the motherboard, no Molex connectors in sight.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:49:19 am
content: Quote from: Halon on March 19, 2015, 09:24:45 amSata runs on 12V and 5V. there must be 5V somewhere on the board...

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:51:07 am
content: take to the multiconnector with a scalpel to split it into 2 pieces, use the existing power, and a dedicated sata cable?

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 09:55:20 am
content: if you want to open the bonnet, be prepared for dirty fingernails!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 10:17:00 pm
content: A bit of an update: AdvanPOS have put me onto their Australian distributor, who advised theycan'twon't support end-users (only the resellers will). The unit is out of warranty.I'll try and hack at the power pins.

author: lowimpedance
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 10:36:25 pm
content: So AdvanPOS stands for 'Advanced Piece Of Sh%t' then !Typical that they don't want to know about it, must have some idea its a "POS"

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 10:38:30 pm
content: Quote from: lowimpedance on March 19, 2015, 10:36:25 pmWell the distributer have actually been somewhat helpful. E-mails are returned very quickly. They claim they've never had issues with this connector but I beg to differ (of course they aren't going to bag their own product).

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 11:14:33 pm
content: Quote from: lowimpedance on March 19, 2015, 10:36:25 pmUntil I read the post again and clicked on the link, I thought he'd just givenAdvantesta trashy nickname.Those connectors definitely don't look like they'd meet the SATA specs for signal integrity...