Statistics 2

Lesson 2 : Cable Connection 

2.1. Learning Objectives 
On completion of this lesson you will be able to describe:
 The cabling method for IDE hard drives.

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2.2. Cabling 

IDE interface cable is 40-wire cable. This cable normally has 3 slots – one to connect it with the motherboard, two others are to connect it with two hard drives (master and slave). 

2.2.1. Connecting Cable to Motherboard 

To install a hard disk as primary master, connect one end of the cable to IDE1 slot of the motherboard. Look for a 40-pin slot on the motherboard. You will find normally 2 such slots. For IDE1 slot, a 'IDE1' is printed by the side of the slot. If no sign indicating slot number is printed on the motherboard, then get the motherboard’s manual. In the manual you will find which is the IDE1 slot. In figure 2.1 the IDE1 slot is on the lower right corner of the motherboard. During cabling you should be careful about connecting the cable to the motherboard in such a way that the pin-1 if cable connects with the pin-1 of slot. The pin-1 of cable is the dark lined wire. The pin-1 of IDE1 slot is marked by a ‘1’. In the figure 2.1 the lower right pin of each IDE1 slot is the pin-1. A ‘1’ is marked on the motherboard near this pin. 

2.2.2. Connecting Cable to Hard Disk 

Two hard disks can be connected with a cable : one master and another slave. Again there are 2 slots on a cable for hard drives. Any hard drive (master or slave) can be connected to any one of the 2 slots of the cable. The motherboard distinguishes between them by their configuration. So if one hard disk on a cable is configured (by jumper setting) as master then the other must be configured as slave. During cabling we should be careful about connecting the cable to the hard disk in such a way that the pin-1 if cable connects with the pin-1 of the data slot of hard disk. Recall that the pin-1 of cable is the dark lined wire.