I have a good CD drive from a Rev A iMac pulled when I upgraded to a CD-RW. I want to convert this CD ROM drive to act as a bus powered USB or firewire drive. Any one have any good ideas? I have seen some cases out there that will allow a standard IDE device to be converted, but nothing like my CD drive. If I cannot make it bus powered, I can work around that, but I need to be able to make this drive USB or firewire.
--DDTM
If the IDE connector is the same as a laptop IDE plug, you can get an adapter that converts it to standard IDE, then hook that up to a regular USB/FireWire converter. If it's not a laptop-style connector, you probably can't do anything with it.
I believe it is. There is a little dongle that goes between the actual drive and the cable to the MB, perhaps the purpose of the dongle is to interface to the IDE, but the output is something like 40 pins or less (haven't counted, but it is less than the one to the HD).
--DDTM
yeah it is a standard drive ... there is a little board on the back which can be swapped for one that adapts to standard IDE ...
http://www.mini-itx.com/store/default.asp?c=5#p2102
TOM
Ouch...that price is a bit steep. One can get them for £5...
i wasnt suggesting it as a price ... its just the only place i could remember that had a good pic of them
TOM