Suggestions for IDE cable management

[purbeast0]

I'm trying to figure out a way to do some cable management with these IDE cables. Under the main shelf you see there, there are 3 boards with IDE cables coming out of them, and you can see there is one board sitting on a chair with an IDE cable running to the main PCB they are plugged into. That one will be under the main shelf, as will 1 more eventually.

But the way those big ass flat IDE cables are there is just bothering me and I can't think of a way to do better cable management with them. I have actually tried searching for circle IDE cables like I used to have back in the day, but I can't even find them anymore and I'm sure if I did, they would be more pricey than I'd want to spend for some 3ft ones.

So anyone have suggestions on how to manage these a little better? Is it safe to "fold" IDE cables and put them inside some kind of tubing myself? Even that just to tidy it up a bit and make it a tad cleaner would be nice.

Pic of current setup below.

 

[skyking]

I will see if I have any round ones.

 

[purbeast0]

I will see if I have any round ones.

I was just googling and looking on ebay and I saw like 2 3ft ones but they all had 3 connectors on them. I just need 2 - 1 on each end. I guess beggers can't be choosers though.

I also read that you can make your own by separating the wires. That would be kinda risky since it involves razor blades and 1 mess up and it's done.

Those cables all came with the stuff I'm hooking up too so it wasn't extra out of my pocket. I don't know if I'd spend like $70 on rounded IDE cables though. The ones I saw were like $12 or so each.

 

[skyking]

what length do you really need?

 

[BoomerD]

Split loom can be your cable management friend...

 

[SaltyNuts]

Zip ties?

 

[purbeast0]

what length do you really need?

At least 3ft for 2 of em, possibly longer for one I haven't put the last board in there that will be hooked up but hoping the 3ft ones I have are long enough. The other ones vary though but at least like 2ft for the ones coming from under. The one up top is very short as you can see.

 

[purbeast0]

Split loom can be your cable management friend...

I was thinking about that after something I found online, but it required folding the IDE cables and I just wasn't sure how safe that is to do. I mean I realize it's just wires under all of it but just always thought folding IDE cables was bad.

 

[mxnerd]

36" ATA 66/100/133 Red Round IDE Cable

www.cablesonline.com

You can also stack several boxes so you don't have to use extra long IDE cables. 😁

Better yet, you can install shelves on both sides of the table so you can put some stuff there. 🙂

==

Just curious why do you still keep these antique motherboards? 🙄

 

[purbeast0]

36" ATA 66/100/133 Red Round IDE Cable

www.cablesonline.com

You can also stack several boxes so you don't have to use extra long IDE cables. 😁

==

Just curious why do you still keep these antique motherboards? 🙄

Because I like arcade games.

Those prices are pretty fair though. I don't think I will find any 3ft long cables that don't have a 3rd connector on it, but wouldn't really matter if I just don't use it. I still don't know if I would spend that much for them though for the "reward" it gives me.

 

[clamum]

Ugh I do not miss working with those stupid things.

I've seen people slice down the scores around each wire in the ribbon cable and then like tie them up with rubber bands or zip ties or something like that. Kind of a labor intensive thing though and you run the risk of damaging the cable cutting it I'd think.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

lol IDE cables?

Whatever it is replace with SATA capable?

Otherwise buy a nice rounded one.

I would search eBay because there has to be tons of people like ATOT geeks that have boxes full of them that aren't used anymore.

 

[deadlyapp]

+1 to folding them. You can score them in a few areas to make bundling them easier, and then just zip tie and you'll be fine. Folding won't affect them, the wire gauge is so small they have almost an infinite bend radius without being affected.

 

[purbeast0]

Ugh I do not miss working with those stupid things.

I've seen people slice down the scores around each wire in the ribbon cable and then like tie them up with rubber bands or zip ties or something like that. Kind of a labor intensive thing though and you run the risk of damaging the cable cutting it I'd think.

+1 to folding them. You can score them in a few areas to make bundling them easier, and then just zip tie and you'll be fine. Folding won't affect them, the wire gauge is so small they have almost an infinite bend radius without being affected.

I may try doing like a mixture of these. Maybe score every 4 or 5 wires or something, and then fold those on top of each other and zip tie them. Or maybe put some loom around them after that.

 

[LikeLinus]

I saw the title and assumed this was a thread bumped from 20 years ago!

 

[kt]

Before round IDE cable existed, I used to fold them all the time with zip ties and never had issues. I wrap the folded part with a rubber sleeve and use the zip ties to hold the wrapped up sleeve in place.

 

[purbeast0]

Before round IDE cable existed, I used to fold them all the time with zip ties and never had issues. I wrap the folded part with a rubber sleeve and use the zip ties to hold the wrapped up sleeve in place.

What size sleeves did you use? I was thinking maybe 1/2" soft loom based off some google searching but I'd prefer something a little cleaner looking than that if possible.

 

[purbeast0]

Since I'm guessing most people have no clue what this is for, I just took this video to show. It's still processing so SD may only be available.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Should have gone with Area 51

 

[purbeast0]

Should have gone with Area 51

If you watch the video, I have it.

 

[mxnerd]

The simplest way probably is buy one or two tension bars and put them in the middle of the cabinet, then pull everything up and tie it to the bars, done.

You are going to cover the back, aren't you?

 

[Red Squirrel]

You could also buy the crimp tools and raw cabling to make your own, that way you can make them the exact sizes you want. Not sure what kind of frequencies we're talking about with arcade games or how critical things like impedance is but I wonder if you could even substitute the cables for individual wires with plugs at the ends then bundle them together.

I was looking at that stuff briefly on Digikey as IDE style cables are kinda versatile for custom projects and the pin pitch matches most protoboards.

 

[BoomerD]

Amazon.com : Round ide

 

[snoopy7548]

Just pour a few gallons of clear epoxy in there and everything will be all nice and sealed up.

 

[BoomerD]

Guide: How-To Round & Sleeve Flat IDE Cables