Signal Cables:
These flat, wide cables connect internal drives to the system
board; signal cables are sometimes called ribbon cables. There are two sizes of signal
cables that come with your computer:
The wider signal cable has three connectors. Two of these connectors attach to
installed drives and the third attaches to the primary EIDE connector on the
system board.
Note:
If you have the 3-bay design and a 5.25-inch drive is installed, you must
remove this drive to connect or disconnect cables to the primary or
secondary EIDE connectors. For more information, see “Removing a
5.25-Inch Drive from the 3-Bay Design” on page 49.
The narrower signal cable differs by mechanical design:
– In the 3-bay design, this cable has two connectors: one for attaching to the
diskette-drive connector on the system board, and one for attaching an
internal diskette drive.
– In the 4-bay design, this cable has four connectors: one for attaching to the
diskette-drive connector on the system board, two for attaching internal
devices, and a fourth unique connector for attaching devices with adapter
strips or other special connections.
Note:
To locate connectors on the system board, see “Identifying Parts on the
System Board” on page 7.
The following are some important points to remember when connecting power and
signal cables to internal drives:
5
The diskette drive and hard disk drive (standard in most models) that are
preinstalled in your computer come with power and signal cables attached.
Also, if your computer comes with a CD-ROM drive, cables are attached. If you
replace any drives, it is important to remember which cables attached to which
drives.
If more than one IDE device is used on a single cable, one must be designated
as the primary or master device and another as the secondary or subordinate
device; otherwise, some of the IDE devices might not be recognized by the
system. The primary or secondary designation is determined by switch or
jumper settings on each IDE device.
5
The maximum number of installed internal drives depends on the mechanical design of your
computer. Refer to “Drive Specifications” on page 37 for more information.
Chapter 5. Working with Internal Drives
39
