Power Supplies - Upgrading and Repairing PCs - page 897

Perhaps the most common additional power connector seen on virtually all power supplies is the
peripheral power connector , also called the disk drive power connector . What we know as the
peripheral power connector was originally created by AMP as part of the commercial MATE-N-
LOK series, although since it is also manufactured and sold by Molex, it is often incorrectly called a
Molex connector .
To determine the location of pin 1, carefully look at the connector. It is usually embossed in the
plastic connector body; however, it is often tiny and difficult to read. Fortunately, these connectors
are keyed and therefore difficult to insert incorrectly. Figure 18.30 shows the keying with respect to
pin numbers on the larger drive power connector.
Figure 18.30. A peripheral power connector.
This is the one connector type that has been on all PC power supplies from the original IBM PC to the
latest systems built today. It is most commonly known as a disk drive connector , but it is also used in
some systems to provide additional power to the motherboard, video card, cooling fans, or just about
anything that can use +5V or +12V power.
A peripheral power connector is a 4-pin connector with round terminals spaced 0.200 inches apart,
rated to carry up to 11 amps per pin. Because there is one +12V pin and one +5V pin (the other two
are grounds), the maximum power-handling capability of the peripheral connector is 187 watts. The
plug is 0.830 inches wide, making it suitable for larger drives and devices.
Table 18.17 shows the peripheral power connector pinout and wire colors.
Table 18.17. Peripheral Power Connector Pinout (Large Drive Power Connector)
Floppy Power Connectors