CF Card Install
 

I have a 3" ribbon cable and an adapter card for a compact flash card. I'm installing in place of a hard disk. What pin orientation do I use when plugging the flash card adapter into the flash card and the motherboard via the ribbon cable?

Look at the ribbon cable: it has a red wire (pin1) and this must go to pin 1 of the ide interface in the motherboard and to pin 1 of the CF adapter.
About IDE interface, its pin 1 is located on the opposite side of the rear A1200/600 ports or the nearest to the PCMCIA port.
About CF adapter, my version has a white diagonal line in the corner to identify its pin 1.

kinda off topic but... is there something similar for other cards then CF? I'm thinking of replacing my 2.5" 4GB HDD with something like this but bigger capacity (8 or 12GB). What are the experiences with these?

CF->IDE is probably still the cheapest solution. There are 4xSD -> IDE adapters, those can take 4x 4GB SD cards, but the adapter is more expensive than CF->IDE.

Solid state storage is always expensive when buy more capacity, just stick a 16GB CF card in.

And is there something similar for SCSI interfaces?

No. You can use an ACard SCSI->IDE-bridge to make an IDE port in your SCSI chain, though.

Hi:

My CF adapter does not have any pins labeled so I'm unable to determine which way to install the cable to the adapter. Can you help?

Try it one way... when it doesn't work try the other way.

Sheesh!

I am concerned about damaging the card or the motherboard interface but thanks for the constructive post.

You can't damage anything by putting a 40-pin IDE cable the wrong way round. There are no power pins.

Have you never done it by mistake when building a PC using cheap cables with no tabs?

My post was very constructive given the info you provided.

How could anyone have replied any better when you didnt say which Amiga you were connecting it to (A600/A1200/A4000) or which make / model CF card adapter you were using or provide pictures etc.

Reactive Data produce a CF->SCSI bridge

can you make a picture of it?

Some pictures. Used in A1200.

Nice!! Do you know of anyone who has tried it in an Amiga? :)

No reason why it wouldn't work with an Amiga.. I'm more interested in how outrageously expensive it is .. :-)

No but there is no logical reason it wouldn't work, they are designed specifically to replace legacy SCSI devices like those of the Ami.

zeke1312: The triangle next to the jumper indicates pin 1 i.e. the cable in the picture is connected correctly.

Jope: I was thinking the same thing.

Thanks, that's what I thought(guessed) but wanted to make sure. I started in the electronics (radar) field many years ago, then mainframe (repair both). I remember, at least in those days many/most cables, etc were keyed, i.e., "idiot proofed" so nothing got zapped when plugging/unplugging. Sounds like things have changed.but......start "yankin' and pluggin'" and in Spanish, "El smoko".;)