Dell960User

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Dell960User

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September 27th, 2021 23:00

Dell Optiplex 960 floppy drive

I am looking for information on floppy drives for the Dell Optiplex 960 (either mini-tower or small form factor). Does anyone have information on the motherboard connector for either the MT or SFF? Does anyone know where I can obtain a floppy drive for either model?

  • redxps630

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 11:00

    Re: Does that proprietary cable have 26 conductors on one side and then 12 conductors on the other side (3 top, 6 middle, 3 bottom)? 

    Yes you are correct.  I confirmed with this close shot of small FDISK connector on SFF motherboard.

    SFF FdiskSFF Fdisk

    gj309 (3).jpg

     

  • speedstep

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 00:00

    @Dell960User 

    Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.

    Nothing special just standard 5.25 inch or 3.5 inch floppy.

    Optiplex 960_service manual 

    You need a cable

    Standard Floppy Drive cable

    and the drive

    SONY Floppy Drive 3.5 inch

    There are usually 3 screws for the drive inside the case attached to the front bezel filler panel. 2 go onto the drive where you can see and one goes on the back side where you cannot see. They are shoulder screws and lock in place.

     

    The 360/760/960 and 380/780/980 are the same so this is probably better for how it goes in.

    optiplex_780_Service Manual

     

    bay cover.jpg

     

    DRIVE COVER.png

    FLOPPY.png

     

     

  • redxps630

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 05:00

    Re: Does anyone have information on the motherboard connector for either the MT or SFF

    960MT mobo uses standard 34 pin FDD connector (white).

    960SFF mobo uses a mini 34 pin FDD connector (black) and uses a thin ribbon cable E41447-HWCS.

    960MT uses standard 3.5" form factor FDD.

    960SFF uses slim line FDD such as Sony MPF820 Slimline 1.44 Floppy Disk Drive Dell 8C043

    (edited)

  • redxps630

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 10:00

    The flexible cable for slim FDD in 960SFF has 26 pins on the motherboard connector side.  it is a single row of 26 pins.

    the other side of the cable connecting to FDD has a flat ribbon connector demonstrated in this video. Tutorial on How to properly connect the Flat Ribbon Cable to a 26 PIN 1.44MB Floppy Drive Emulator - YouTube

    redxps630_0-1632850988897.jpeg

    redxps630_2-1632851163974.jpeg

     

    redxps630_1-1632851009857.jpeg

     

  • Dell960User

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 10:00

    Does that proprietary cable have 26 conductors on one side and then 12 conductors on the other side (3 top, 6 middle, 3 bottom)? 

  • Dell960User

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 12:00

    Ah, very nice! Thanks so much for your help. I’ve been searching all over for a floppy drive for this computer and none of the references are for the 960 SFF. This clears things up for me!

  • redxps630

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 14:00

    It is the same slim FDD Dell uses in 755 and 745 SFF.  DP/N GJ309.

    The ribbon cable 26 pin connector on motherboard side has a plastic tab key so it can only be inserted one way into the motherboard socket. 

    (edited)

  • speedstep

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 22:00

    @Dell960User 

    Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.

    A better also supported option would be a USB Floppy Drive. Which can be used with All Dell models Desktop or Laptop regardless of size and does not require removing anything or finding propriteary parts.

    MPF82E 08K9835

    External USB Floppy Drive

     USBFDD.png

     

  • speedstep

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    Posted September 28th, 2021 22:00

    @Dell960User 

    Please press the blue Accept as Solution button below if this post answers your question.

    Standard FDD connector contains 34-pins not 38.

    (Shugart interface)

    34-pin for 5.25 / 3.5 diskette drives

    The Dell flex circuit connection is proprietary not standard.

    Every other pin is ground so 17 pins are signal and 17 pins are ground.

    34 pin.gifFLOPPY PINOUT.JPG

  • bradthetechnut

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    Posted September 29th, 2021 17:00

    In this case, I was to suggest the same thing as speedstep.  That way, @Dell960User, you're not going through as much trouble for floppy disks, which are somewhat unreliable.

    Years ago, before I had internet at home, before I had flash drives, I'd use floppy drive to go between library computers and mine.  Sometimes it would be hit & miss if the floppy still had the saved info/data/file once I got to the destination.  Not any one of my floppies retained anything after some years just by sitting in their case.