Mobo: floppy output missing pin... why?

[LarsEirik]

It is not broken, it is just... eh... missing
(I have seen this on 2 computers, but on other computers all pins are there)

red line connects here
|_______________
[ooooooooooooooo]
[ooXoooooooooooo]
------- -------

the X is where the pin is missing on the MoBo

 

[LarsEirik]

erm...

doh!

 

[Jalapeno]

Bump 😉

 

[JesseKnows]

Well, to remind people of ancient computing history: The missing pin is known as a key pin. It is supposed to mate with a cable which has a hole plugged, so the cable can only go in one way. Prevents user errors. If you look at your hard disk drives, you will see a pin missing in the middle. Some floppy drives also have a pin missing on the side, but not quite the same location as the MoBo. That prevents installing the floppy cable the wrong way around.

Now, most contemporary cables have no holes plugged, so they would fit in any direction. You must note the red/blue edge of the cable and install correctly. And some plug assemblies have a bump halfway up the middle, which fits in a groove on the socket.

Missing MoBo pins can only help. However, you cannot use a cable with a plugged hole in a MoBo with no missing pins.