IDE cable question

[ares32585]

On a three connector IDE cable which part is used for the Master drive and which should be used for the slave drive? Or does it not matter?

 

[JaiKnight]

The farthest end should be used for Master, slave in the middle.

 

[HaVoC]

Actually does not matter...jumper settings for each drive determine the Master and Slave unless you set the drives for "cable select" which means...surprise...the cable position selects M/S.

I would recommend you set master/slave with jumpers on each drive. It should be printed on the back or top of the drive how to set the jumpers to set each for master and slave.

 

[interchange]

Yes, and if you have a Western Digital Hard Drive.....May God help you.

 

[JaiKnight]

Really? I didn't know that, somebody once told me it had to be that way and I've been doing it ever since... But isn't there one wire crossed in the cable that determines that (along with the jumper settings)? wait a sec... maybe that's for the floppy.....

 

[Wingznut]

Yeah, that's a floppy cable.

 

[dkozloski]

For cable select, surprise! you need a cable select cable. The cable will have a slit cutting a wire or a hole cutting a wire that does the trick.

 

[Lord Evermore]

For Ultra-ATA/66 drives, it DOES matter which connector is used. One connector is farthest away from the other two, that is the end to go to the motherboard. The one on the other end MUST be used for the master drive,and the one in the middle for the slave drive.

They're color coded and sometimes labelled to make sure you get it right.

 

[denon]

For ata66 cables the end that is blue (normally blue) goes in the board, but then it doesnt matter which connector goes into which drive.