weird hard drive cable problem

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

I was working on a system recently that was very unstable
and finally noticed that the IDE cables on both the hard
disk and the CDROM were connected at the middle connector
instead of at the end (only one hard disk and CDROM in the
system). When I plugged the end of the IDE cables into the
drives the computer immediately booted normally and ran
stable. I didn't think it mattered with IDE drives which
cable connector you used, but apparently it does. Is this a
termination issue and is it consistant?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Swingman wrote:
> I was working on a system recently that was very unstable
> and finally noticed that the IDE cables on both the hard
> disk and the CDROM were connected at the middle connector
> instead of at the end (only one hard disk and CDROM in the
> system). When I plugged the end of the IDE cables into the
> drives the computer immediately booted normally and ran
> stable. I didn't think it mattered with IDE drives which
> cable connector you used, but apparently it does. Is this a
> termination issue and is it consistant?
>
>
>
ATA-100 & ATA-133, using the 80 wire(40 pin) cable
requires that the master ATA(IDE) device goes at the end connector of
the cable and the slave ATA(IDE)device is on the middle connector

ATA-66 (40 wire/40 pin)& earlier only requires that the IDE devices
be jumpered correctly

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 02:16:30 GMT, "Swingman" <sbt@silcom.com> wrote:

>I was working on a system recently that was very unstable
>and finally noticed that the IDE cables on both the hard
>disk and the CDROM were connected at the middle connector
>instead of at the end (only one hard disk and CDROM in the
>system). When I plugged the end of the IDE cables into the
>drives the computer immediately booted normally and ran
>stable. I didn't think it mattered with IDE drives which
>cable connector you used, but apparently it does. Is this a
>termination issue and is it consistant?

With the 40 conductor it does not matter as they ae generally not
designed to function in CS (cable select) mode. 80 conductors are
generally for CS.

In my experience some computer tended to be a bit picky and nasty if
you have a slave drive with no master drive on the same bus.
Especially if the drive were set to CS mode rather than Slave or
Master mode.

Another likely cause is your CD-ROM was set to master but using slave
connector and that will confuse some computer to the point of
instability.

There are IDE cable (both 40 and 80 conductors) that are designed for
single drive if you don't want a long cable and don't plan to use the
second connector.
--
To reply, replace digi.mon with phreaker.net

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Previously Swingman <sbt@silcom.com> wrote:
> I was working on a system recently that was very unstable
> and finally noticed that the IDE cables on both the hard
> disk and the CDROM were connected at the middle connector
> instead of at the end (only one hard disk and CDROM in the
> system). When I plugged the end of the IDE cables into the
> drives the computer immediately booted normally and ran
> stable. I didn't think it mattered with IDE drives which
> cable connector you used, but apparently it does. Is this a
> termination issue and is it consistant?

This seems to indicate weak/defect bus drivers. Damaged by
static electricity? There is no termination on IDE.

Arno

 

[cjt]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Arno Wagner wrote:
> Previously Swingman <sbt@silcom.com> wrote:
>
>>I was working on a system recently that was very unstable
>>and finally noticed that the IDE cables on both the hard
>>disk and the CDROM were connected at the middle connector
>>instead of at the end (only one hard disk and CDROM in the
>>system). When I plugged the end of the IDE cables into the
>>drives the computer immediately booted normally and ran
>>stable. I didn't think it mattered with IDE drives which
>>cable connector you used, but apparently it does. Is this a
>>termination issue and is it consistant?
>
>
> This seems to indicate weak/defect bus drivers. Damaged by
> static electricity? There is no termination on IDE.
>
> Arno

No, if only one drive is to be connected, it should be on the end
of the cable. The drive terminates the cable.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

 

[cjt]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

Impmon wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 02:16:30 GMT, "Swingman" <sbt@silcom.com> wrote:
>
>
>>I was working on a system recently that was very unstable
>>and finally noticed that the IDE cables on both the hard
>>disk and the CDROM were connected at the middle connector
>>instead of at the end (only one hard disk and CDROM in the
>>system). When I plugged the end of the IDE cables into the
>>drives the computer immediately booted normally and ran
>>stable. I didn't think it mattered with IDE drives which
>>cable connector you used, but apparently it does. Is this a
>>termination issue and is it consistant?
>
>
> With the 40 conductor it does not matter as they ae generally not
> designed to function in CS (cable select) mode. 80 conductors are
> generally for CS.
>

CS isn't the issue.

> In my experience some computer tended to be a bit picky and nasty if
> you have a slave drive with no master drive on the same bus.
> Especially if the drive were set to CS mode rather than Slave or
> Master mode.
>
> Another likely cause is your CD-ROM was set to master but using slave
> connector and that will confuse some computer to the point of
> instability.
>
> There are IDE cable (both 40 and 80 conductors) that are designed for
> single drive if you don't want a long cable and don't plan to use the
> second connector.


--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.storage (More info?)

"Arno Wagner" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message news:3ak042F69hpqjU2@individual.net...
> Previously Swingman <sbt@silcom.com> wrote:
> > I was working on a system recently that was very unstable
> > and finally noticed that the IDE cables on both the hard
> > disk and the CDROM were connected at the middle connector
> > instead of at the end (only one hard disk and CDROM in the
> > system). When I plugged the end of the IDE cables into the
> > drives the computer immediately booted normally and ran
> > stable.

> > I didn't think it mattered with IDE drives which
> > cable connector you used, but apparently it does.

It does for UDMA.

> > Is this a termination issue

Yes.

> and is it consistant?

Can vary per drive and cable.

>
> This seems to indicate weak/defect bus drivers. Damaged by
> static electricity?

> There is no termination on IDE.

Yes, there is. It's just not like with SCSI.

>
> Arno