IDE cable connector orientation...

[Asparagus]

Middle connector is always the "slave"... One of either 2 ends plugs into the master and the other plugs into the Mobo...

Are the ends interchangeable? i.e.... I've got an IDE cable with a blue, connector on one end, a black connector on the other, and a grey connector in the middle. Gray is slave, but can I make blue or black the master depending on which end I plug into the mobo? Both end connectors (blue&black) look visibly identical.

 

[moosey]

according to my motherboard manual the end with the "2 closely spaced connectors" go to the drives.

 

[MedicBob]

The drive position on the cable matters if you are doing "CS" Cable Select. With CS, the position on the cable tells the MB what drive is what, you will have to set the jumpers on the drive to CS also. If you set jumpers on the drive to one drive is Master and the other one is Slave it doesn't matter where they go. Only 1 Master and 1 Slave per cable is allowed and the closer connectors to each other should be used. If you have only 1 drive on the cable set it to master and put it on the cable where you want it.

 

[Asparagus]

Thanks all!!!

I think the following will work...

The connectors close to each other: the one on the "end" will go to the Mobo... The one close to it (in the middle), will go to the primary drive, and I WONT use Cable select... I have to do it this way because of the physical positioning of the drives with respect to the IDE inputs on the mobo... Based on what you say, I'm guessing this will work...

 

[bacillus]

iiirc someone had a problem with the device transfer mode being limited to udma2 when he connected the black end to the m/board.