INSTALLATION
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3
Hard Drive Identification
IDE stands for Integrated Drive Electronics and EIDE is Enhanced IDE. The IDE or EIDE interface is designed to support two devices – typically hard drives – on a
single ribbon cable through one 40 pin connector on the mother board or interface card.
Some mother boards and interface cards may have a second IDE/EIDE connector to support two additional IDE devices. The IDE/EIDE interface is identified as
a primary or secondary interface. In systems with only a single connector on the mother board or interface card, it is the primary IDE/EIDE interface and
requires a special interface card to add a secondary IDE/EIDE interface to the system. In systems with two connectors on the mother board or interface card,
one is identified as the primary and the other as the secondary.
The primary interface must be used for at least one IDE device before connecting any devices to the secondary IDE interface.
The ribbon cable used is limited to a maximum length of 18 inches (per ANSI standards) and has two or three 40 pin connectors. This cable is referred to as a
parallel cable and IDE devices may be connected any where on the cable. One of the connectors is attached to the IDE connector on the mother board or
interface card and the remaining connector(s) are available for the IDE devices.
Identifying IDE Devices on the Interface
Each IDE interface (connector) supports one or two IDE devices on the ribbon cable. Each device must be identified as either the Master or Slave device on that
interface (cable). Each cable must have a Master before it can have a Slave device on the cable. There cannot be two Master or two Slave devices on the
same cable.
IDE devices use jumpers to designate the Master/Slave identification of the device. Each manufacturer may have its own jumpering scheme to identify the
device as a Master or Slave and its relationship to other IDE devices attached to the same cable.
Primary/Master/Slave Definitions
Some hard drive manufacturers use three definitions, Primary, Master and Slave. The manufacturers which use the three definitions define “Primary” as the
only IDE device on the interface cable; “Master” as the 1st IDE device on the interface cable; and “Slave” as the 2nd device on the interface cable. Maxtor
uses only two definitions that of Master and Slave devices on the IDE interface. Maxtor’s “Master” definition performs both the “Primary” and “Master”
definitions used by other hard drive manufacturers with a single jumper setting.
Jumper Settings
A jumper is a small piece of plastic that slides over a pair of configuration pins on the drive to activate a specific function. The jumper illustration below shows
three valid jumper settings for Maxtor hard drives – Master, Slave and Cable Select. Maxtor hard drives can be set as either a Master or a Slave device.
There are no other jumpers to set when the Maxtor hard drive is installed on the same ribbon cable with another IDE device.
EIDE Interface Connector
J1
Power Connector
J2
J50 – Master/Slave
J48 – Cable Select
J46 – 4092 Cylinder Limitation
J44 – Factory Reserved
J42 – Factory Reserved
Master Device
J50 J48 J46 J44 J42
Slave Device
J50 J48 J46 J44 J42
Cable Select
J50 J48 J46 J44 J42
Rear View of Maxtor Hard Drive
Master, Slave and Cable Select Settings
Before installing the drive in the computer, you
must
determine how the jumpers on the Maxtor hard drive are to be set for your system based upon the use of
the Maxtor hard drive as either a Master or Slave device. Maxtor hard drives are shipped with the Master jumper setting enabled.
IMPORTANT:
If a Maxtor hard drive is being added to a system on the same cable with an existing IDE device, it may be necessary to re-configure the
jumpers on the existing device to insure that the system will properly recognize both devices. Information regarding the correct jumper configurations on other
IDE devices is available in their product documentation or from the manufacturer of that device.
