Internal DVD drive for external use help

[susbaconhairman]

Some random person just gave me a DVD drive today and I wanna use it for external use since I don't have a rig and I'm poor
It has a 39-pin IDE connection and a Molex and some other connections that look familiar but idk what are. I think I am gonna buy a 39-pin IDE to SATA adapter as well as a SATA to USB adaper, and then a Molex to USB connector, but I don't know if the Molex to USB will work because maybe it needs a certain voltage or something? It is an LG DVD drive with Super-Multi, lightScribe, and SecurDisc, the model is GH22LP20 and it was manufactured on the first of September of 2008 (if it matters). Also, here is a picture of the back with all the connections since idk what the are and sorry for shitty cam quality:

 

[tech3475]

Molex to USB likely wont work since USB only provides 5v where as Molex provides both 5v and 12v.

I would suggest trying to find an old cheap IDE based enclosure, if not you'll probably need either a Molex power adapter or possibly reuse an old PC power supply with the mobo connector bridged to make the PSU always supply power (not ideal IMO).

Since you don't know about the other connections, they're for audio, but they shouldn't be needed.

I'll also add in case you don't know, make sure the IDE jumper is set to 'primary'/'master'.

That said, you may want to consider just looking for a USB DVD drive since by the time you buy the components it may not be that much more expensive.

 

[mituzora]

Some random person just gave me a DVD drive today and I wanna use it for external use since I don't have a rig and I'm poor
It has a 39-pin IDE connection and a Molex and some other connections that look familiar but idk what are. I think I am gonna buy a 39-pin to SATA adapter and then a Molex to USB connector, but I don't know if the Molex to USB will work because maybe it needs a certain voltage or something? It is an LG DVD drive with Super-Multi, lightScribe, and SecurDisc, the model is GH22LP20 and it was manufactured on the first of September of 2008 (if it matters). Also, here is a picture of the back with all the connections since idk what the are and sorry for shitty cam quality:
View attachment 328249View attachment 328248

There are Molex adapters that plug in straight to the wall that work. (As the previous poster stated, if the DVD drive requires 12v, then USB will NOT work), then you can just use an IDE-USB adapter for the data bus

With the cost of getting an adapter and a PSU, it may be more cost effective to use an external drive instead of using this. I know this was given to you and everything, but with the cost of getting it up and running as an external drive, I'd assume it'd be about the same price to just buy an external DVD drive (around 20ish dollars, give or take)

 

[susbaconhairman]

I was looking up some manuals for it and I found that one of the manuals says that a "+5V/+12V power socket required." Does that mean either 5V or 12V, or both?

 

[tech3475]

I was looking up some manuals for it and I found that one of the manuals says that a "+5V/+12V power socket required." Does that mean either 5V or 12V, or both?

Says here it needs both 5v and 12v:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/243338/Lg-Gh22lp20.html?page=13#manual

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Highly doubt normal¹ USB, even with a Y-cable would satisfy the power needs of a full-sized optical drive.
From a CD-ROM drive (AOpen CD-956E). It's an older model not featuring any writing functions, but 56X max speed.
DC rating:
+5V ⎓ 900mA → 4.5W
+12V ⎓ 1500mA → 18W

Even taking in account that this is peak what the device may draw, I doubt spinning up a disc to 10000RPM in two seconds in addition to the laser and all the other mechanical parts and the electronics (and loosing power by upstepper to 12V) will work with standard USB. Full-sized drive needs appropriate power supply.

→ Get a cheap old desktop PC (maybe even for free)
– or –
→ Buy an external "slim" or "ultraslim" USB DVD±RW drive. They are suboptimal and depending on the USB ports may²(!) show signs of brown-out (unexplainable random errors) when not having an own power supply (usually they don't – "convenience > practicability"). For just reading or writing³ a disc occasionally they should do and they are dirt cheap (unless you need a BD drive).





_______________________
¹ Yes, there is all sort of high power and higher voltage stuff for USB available now. Just talking about classic specifications of USB 2.0 (2.5W) and USB 3.0 (4.5W)
² There have been a ton of problem ripping DVD/BD movies with external drives that turned out to be power related
³ Don't write an M-DISC DVD with them (even though they all claim to be M-DISC capable) ! If you waste one of those, I'm gonna be angry! They are out of production…

 

[fringle]

You could try to find a 3.5" ide usb enclosure with an external power adapter. I'm sure they are hard to find these days but they did exist at one point in time.

 

[mrgone]

i don't want to spread bad vibes, but i tell my story

i pc died a few years back, i suspected the mainboard.
later i bought an external enclosure for the dvd-writer, as it should still work.
but it doesn't, even though it has it's own power supply.

enclosures for your drive (parallel) are rare nowadays and thus expensive i presume
buy a fresh drive and be careful while using it regarding usb bus power

bought an external bd writer with it's own power supply, i am happy with that since then

 

[KleinesSinchen]

enclosures for your drive (parallel) are rare nowadays and thus expensive i presume
buy a fresh drive and be careful while using it regarding usb bus power

Had one long time ago: Broke way too fast.

Am I the only one that would use a full-sized optical drive with IDE interface in a desktop computer with IDE ports on the motherboard? Those computers regularly show up on flea markets and even on junkyards (for free).

Spoiler: Partially off-topic

bought an external bd writer with it's own power supply, i am happy with that since then

Hesitant with that: BD drives are expensive, and external ones are often more expensive... and mostly sub-optimal slim drives.
What model did you buy?

 

[mrgone]

Had one long time ago: Broke way too fast.

Am I the only one that would use a full-sized optical drive with IDE interface in a desktop computer with IDE ports on the motherboard? Those computers regularly show up on flea markets and even on junkyards (for free).

still got the old celeron 550 from my sister in the basement
probably unused for 15 years

Spoiler: Partially off-topic

it's a fat one, even uhd-able if i were to re-flash it, but i tried it, and that makes it super slow, and i'm not into 4k, so pretty useless to me

 

[susbaconhairman]

but im poor!
i will try looking for an enclosure since i cant find a 39-pin ide to sata adapter anywhere
i also think i will just use a molex to wall adapter, however some of the reviews say the power fluctuates or lowers or something, anyone know where a reliable one may be?
i also dont want an old-ass pc just for a drive (but i still wanna keep the drive because it's high quality and many features)

 

[tech3475]

but im poor!
i will try looking for an enclosure since i cant find a 39-pin ide to sata adapter anywhere
i also think i will just use a molex to wall adapter, however some of the reviews say the power fluctuates or lowers or something, anyone know where a reliable one may be?
i also dont want an old-ass pc just for a drive (but i still wanna keep the drive because it's high quality and many features)

Why do you specifically want IDE to SATA instead of USB?

 

[susbaconhairman]

oh wait i thought i would have to do sata to usb or something idk i thought maybe ide to usb would be unreliable or something
i think ive looked up before on google but no results for a 39-pin ide to usb, all the ones i see are 40 or 44 or something higher than 39
Could i just use a 40-pin since it will just fit in the slot or would it not work because of a missing pin (39 pins on my drive)? i am thinking i could just use something like this and not have a wall adapter for molex too: https://www.newegg.com/unitek-y-3324-usb-to-ide-sata/p/35G-00DP-00002?item=9SIA2BP8Y85739 this is a 40 pin however again idk if that will work

 

[tech3475]

oh wait i thought i would have to do sata to usb or something idk i thought maybe ide to usb would be unreliable or something
i think ive looked up before on google but no results for a 39-pin ide to usb, all the ones i see are 40 or 44 or something higher than 39
Could i just use a 40-pin since it will just fit in the slot or would it not work because of a missing pin (39 pins on my drive)? i am thinking i could just use something like this and not have a wall adapter for molex too: https://www.newegg.com/unitek-y-3324-usb-to-ide-sata/p/35G-00DP-00002?item=9SIA2BP8Y85739 this is a 40 pin however again idk if that will work

Pin 20 being missing is normal, I checked and most sources list it as ’not connected’ or ‘key’, a 40 pin IDE cable/adapter should work. I’ve also anecdotally never had any issues myself with the IDE cable itself, faults aside.

You’ll still need to use the wall plug with that adapter to provide molex power though.

 

[susbaconhairman]

Pin 20 being missing is normal, I checked and most sources list it as ’not connected’ or ‘key’, a 40 pin IDE cable/adapter should work. I’ve also anecdotally never had any issues myself with the IDE cable itself.

You’ll still need to use the wall plug with that adapter to provide molex power though.

yes that is what i meant, thank you