[lug] IDE cable Q, additional Q

[The Matt]

On Thu, 2003-02-20 at 20:25, D. Stimits wrote:
> D. Stimits wrote:
> 
> > On an IDE cable, a "modern" UDMA 133 spec cable, it appears that the
> > cable itself has master and slave marked on the cable...this must be
> > what "cable select" setting is for :)
> >
> > If I set a drive to master or slave, rather than cable select, and then
> > use it on the above cable, will it fail to place a master jumpered drive
> > on the slave position of the cable (and vice versa)?

Not sure about this since I never use cable select.  I suppose I'd try
and see (not really the answer you want ;), but if I remember master
must go with master (and slave-slave) on 80-wire cables.

> On top of the above question, I find that the cable I purchased has a 
> center pin blocked, and will not fit on the old board (which I think 
> supported up to UDMA 33). Are UDMA 133 cables completely incompatible 
> with UDMA 33/antique motherboards? [it is an integrated IDE controller]

I can answer this, yes and no.  My work box has an old Gigabyte 440BX
motherboard with only UDMA/33 (which it proudly touts).  But, when I
recently installed a new LiteOn, I bought some 24" Coolermaster ATA-133
rounded IDE EMI-shielded cables (with chassis ground wire!), about the
most modern ATA cables there will ever be thanks to SATA.  And, they do
just fine with my olde board.

But, the difference is my board has the key/missing pin in it's IDE
ports.

> I had a lot of trouble finding a cable long enough, and if that pin 
> isn't needed for normal IDE, I'd be willing to cut the thing right off 
> of the motherboard...I'm really having a hard time finding a reasonable 
> cable of the length I need.

Right now, I think 24" is as long as you'll get.  I think the actual ATA
spec says 18" is the limit, but with cases as they are today, 24" is the
cable most people buy.  But, if your motherboard is ancient enough not
to have the blocked pin, maybe 24" cables won't work.

As for that extra pin, I don't think you should cut it off.  I've heard
bad stories of motherboards where that happens.  Rather, use a small
drill bit or a hot needle to make an extra hole in the cable's
connector; I've read of people doing this, and it seemed to work.  Just
make sure pin 1 goes to pin 1 (I'm sure we all reversed an IDE cable
once in our lives.)

Or, get an old cable with all the holes.  If you find an old enough
computer, you can get one.  I have one with me right now, which was
replaced by the Coolermaster.

Matt
-- 
"And isn't sanity really just a one-trick pony, anyway?  I mean,
all you get is one trick, rational thinking, but when you're good
and crazy, ooh ooh ooh, the sky's the limit!" -- The Tick
  The Matt -- http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~thompsma/
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