Johnny B Good wrote:

I was trying to follow what was going on to try and figure out what the
OP's problem was since I have a similar adapter bought from "Maplin
Man" (so nicknamed on account the bulk of his electronic goodies
consisted of Maplin's customer returns) in a local flea market for 4 or 5
quid. I actually bought a second one for good measure and as insurance
against discovering why they may have been returned.

As I understood it, the problem was a lack of the peripheral cables (a
short SATA data cable and the SATA power cable???). Anyway, he sorted it
and the point is now moot. However, none of the pictures were clear
enough to indicate how the power connection options (SATA or 4 pin Molex)
were implemented. I can only assume that a 12v wallwart feeds the adapter
and a switching converter generates the 5 volts as per the Maplin one
shown he http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/idesata-to-usb-20-a35fq

Inconveniently, even when magnified the view of the sockets on the side
don't make their nature very obvious to those unfamiliar with it in the
flesh. As seen in the magnified image, the dark slot closest to the USB
fly-lead end is the SATA data cable socket and the other socket showing a
white glint is actually one of those 4 pin FDD power sockets into which
you plug the combined 4 pin Molex and SATA power lead (the white glint is
the plastic tongue of the FDD 4 pin power connector).

Now I mention this because I eventually discovered why Maplin's
customers had returned them. Initially, both units seemed to work just
fine but I started noticing problems a few months down the line which
seemed to be cured by unplugging and re-plugging the drive power cable
into the converter's drive power socket.

In the end, I realised the problem was simply due to "Designer
Incompetence" since the FDD power connector simply wasn't able to handle
the loading presented by 3 1/2 inch desktop drives and was suffering
burnt contacts. My solution was simply to eliminate the FDD power
connector altogether and solder the wires directly to the adapter's PCB
in a move that would have made any self respecting penny pinching bean
counter proud. Indeed, just for once, bean counter interference would
have saved the day in cancelling out the designer's mistake. Not
something I expected to ever see myself typing in my own lifetime.

Once I'd fixed it, I never had any more anomalous behaviour again with
working drives. The strange thing is, considering you had to plug the
power lead into the same socket regardless, was why did they bother
making that lead detachable when the adapter was already encumbered with
a permanently attached USB fly-lead. One more fly-lead wouldn't have been
a problem (it has to be plugged in *every* time it's used anyway).

Anyhow, I have a feeling that other similar adapters may also be cursed
with an FDD connector (possibly including the OP's one) and I figured
those folk and owners of the Maplin one, who now have them stuffed in a
drawer going unused due to poor reliability, would appreciate my
experience in turning this particular pig's ear into a silk purse. :-)


Normally, what happens with those 3-in-1 adapters,
is the wall wart goes nuts and burns the drive. And
a part of selecting them, is reading the reviews and
making sure the adapter is fit for purpose. The price
point dropped and dropped, until there was no money
left for anything but the cheapest no-name adapter
included in the kit.

And doing the captive cable trick, is a favorite of mine
too. I fixed a $5K instrument in the lab that way,
after several timid repair attempts went no where fast.
After the connectorized power was taken out of the
failure path, that was the end of any power problems.

Paul