Looking for assistance with troubleshooting SATA/USB cable problems.

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Tazer_Gaming
Junior Member

5

11-20-2016, 06:01 PM

#1

I must be getting old. This is really confusing. I own several old spin drives. I bought a set of SATA to USB 3.0 connectors to connect them to a computer and access them through a powered USB 3.0 hub. I chose a high-wattage model to ensure it could handle the power demands of multiple HDDs, and assumed the 3.0 speed would provide sufficient transfer rates for drives I only needed to access occasionally. The pigtails combine power and data.

I tried connecting a drive, then turned on the hub—nothing happened. I switched cables in case the first one was dead, but it still didn’t spin up. I also tried a different cable on another device, hoping it would work, but the issue persisted. When I connected the pigtail to the PC’s USB 3.0 port, nothing changed.

I’m guessing there might be an issue with insufficient power, incorrect cables (even though they’re advertised for both SSD and HDD), or a signal problem preventing the drive from starting. Anyone can help me figure out what went wrong?

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rosie2435
Senior Member

475

11-20-2016, 07:19 PM

#2

3.5" hard drives require both 5 volts and 12 volts of power. The 5 volts can be supplied via USB, while the 12 volts must be provided by a wall outlet.

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victornetto
Junior Member

20

11-20-2016, 07:34 PM

#3

I need to understand why they combine SATA and USB power and data into one cable. It seems confusing since USB 3.0 might not provide enough voltage. I checked and didn’t find any USB hubs offering 12V/5V power. If I’d known, I could have just used standard cables and a regular power supply. Thanks for the clarification.

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Weegeeh
Member

165

11-25-2016, 08:26 PM

#4

For 2.5" SSDs or most laptop 2.5" HDDs, there are numerous dock options available. For instance:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Drive-Doc...B07RC6YWRX
Amazon.com

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tototo76300
Junior Member

27

11-26-2016, 07:29 PM

#5

I understand the docks and how the SSDs connect to the connector. I’m sorry I didn’t know the specific power needs for the larger spin drive. These adapters say they work with 3.5 drives, but it seems that won’t be the case here. I’ll have to piece together a SATA configuration using my old PSU, avoid using too many wall warts for docks, and prevent having to constantly change drives in one setup. Thanks for your assistance.