OT: IDE issues

[Steven Elling]

On Wednesday 09 July 2003 08:25, Jonathan Hutchins wrote:
> Quoting Steven Elling <ellings at kcnet.com>:
> > Some older systems were particular to where you put the master and
> > slave drives on the same cable.  I've had systems that would not power
> > up the drives if they were not in the right order.  You may be having
> > the same problem.
> >
> > Try putting the master on the outside and the slave on the inside of
> > the IDE cable.
> >
> > I always use the rule "Master Out. Slave In."
>
> This shouldn't matter unless the cable is a "cable select" cable.  A lot
> of branded systems (Compaq, Dell, etc.) are starting to use this.  As I
> recall, it's as simple as using a hole punch to "break" two of the lines
> in the ribon cable between the second and third connectors.

It shouldn't but it does on at least one of my older systems.  I had / have 
a system (can't remember if I still have it) that would not work unless the 
drives were hooked up in the manner above.

I thought I had a CS cable but there were no markings.  I had swapped out 
the IDE cables with several different others but none would work unless the 
drives were set up "Master Out. Slave In."  I was sure there was something 
odd about the system after 3 different cables were tested of which one I 
tested in another system that didn't care which position the drives were 
in.

I always follow the rule because you never know what weird things a 
manufacturer has done.