Drive location on 80 wire ATA/100 cable.

[Wa11y]

If I've got my jumpers setup on a hard drive to be master, and have nothing else on the IDE channel, and I'm using ATA/100 with an ATA/100 80-wire cable, does it matter where the drive goes? Reason I'm asking is this: I have multiple rigs setup, and am trying to setup a third. I'm using a Maxtor hard drive, and have it set as master all alone on the IDE channel. I had it attached to the middle plug on the IDE cable. Yes, have the IDE cable plugged into the right end. When installing XP, I get errors that files can't be copied, or a BSOD (before Setup even runs!). Called Maxtor tech supports (check out the rant of mine) and explain the problem. Yes, I ran the diagnostic, no, no errors. Yes, I ran a low level format, yes, it passes. So their front end gets me up to their second level. He tried to tell me that I need to have the cable in the end plug, not in the middle because it's cable select. I'm smelling some horse poo, because I've got the jumper set to master, so it shouldn't matter where I've got the plug. I checked my other rig (running a Western Digital drive) and it's hooked up pretty much the same way (master in the middle, slave on the end). Can someone please verify this? Does it matter, if I have the jumper set, which plug on the ATA/100 cable is master and slave?

[JimmyG]

I have used a maxtor set to master/single on both plugs. It shouldn't matter.

[Wa11y]

Originally posted by JimmyG
I have used a maxtor set to master/single on both plugs. It shouldn't matter.
That's what I thought. I'll give it a try to humor their tech support. But if it works, I swear I'll pee myself.

[Goldwing]

I have used them successfully also at either connector you might also try swapping cables. You might have a dud cable.

[Wa11y]

Originally posted by Goldwing
I have used them successfully also at either connector you might also try swapping cables. You might have a dud cable.

First thing I tried. Cables are much cheaper than hard drives.

Doesn't work with two XP CDs, or my 98CD. Just get hangups or error messages that files won't copy.

[RoadWarrior]

Master on the end is correct. Reason; at high speed the cables act like transmission lines, and the unloaded end creates an effect like a mirror in a laser and you get bus reflection problems. It's like running a SCSI bus or a coax network without a terminator on the end.

So if you want a short cable, chop the top off it.
regards,

Road Warrior

[Diggrr]

Often, it shouldn't matter where the drive is plugged in on older systems, but this ATA100/133 will see problems when you don't use it on the right plug.

Inside the middle connector, there is one set of contacts missing, so one wire goes un-terminated inside the middle plug. That's how the system can tell which drive is which. It's much like the older ribbon cables that had a 1/4" chunk of one conductor missing.

Road Warior is dead on about reflections in the signals traveling up and down the wires. If I chop cables again, I'll use the end connectors instead of the middle ones like I did. Probably why I've never gotten XP to load and run right.;)