2.5" IDE cable question...

**SamDude** · 02-14-2005, 06:11 PM

I'm receiving a error message that flashes for a second while the computer boots:

"Primary IDE Channel no 80 Conductor Cable Installed"

The cable used currently is a 40 pin to 44 pin IDE cable with a molex connector for supplying power to the HD.

See image and details of existing cable here: eBay link

I've had a look on eBay for an 80 pin cable, but none are suitable - they're all 40/44 pin (and not 80/44 pin, which means you can only use them with 3.5" drives??)

The computer seems to work ok, although I've read that because of the non-80pin cable, it is causing a bottleneck in the performance I'm seeing.

Any sources for the cable I'm after? Or do I just live with it?

**superbowl** · 02-14-2005, 06:35 PM

Hi,

from one Golf driver to another (and.. i own a triumph, so i have to support the british ;-)) i just googled for you, and this is the result:

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Both 40-conductor and 80-conductor ribbon cables have 40-pin *connectors*. Half the conductors in the 80-conductor cable are connected to one or more of the several grounded pins of the connector. That puts each signal conductor between 2 grounded conductors - shielding it from cross-talk and other extraneous bad stuff. They have different appearances, since the 80-conductors make 80 ridges along the cable instead of 40 ridges. See the following: http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/if/ide/conf_Cable80.htm
****************************************

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A temp. solution is to go into your BIOS and disable UDMA for your drives, this will reduce performance for those drive.
****************************************

- superbowl

**Giuliano** · 02-14-2005, 08:56 PM

I have a 44-pin IDE cable attached to the 44-pin Secondary IDE port on my Commell LV-671, and I too get the message on boot up.

As far as I can tell, and also as Commell Tech Support has told me, this is normal.

My 2.5" drive gets set in DMA mode when I start up Windows, so everything's fine.

How long is your 44-pin IDE cable?

Mine's short at 5", but you shouldn't have any problems with performance unless your cable is longer than about 12-18" inches.

**superbowl** · 02-15-2005, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by Giuliano

I have a 44-pin IDE cable attached to the 44-pin Secondary IDE port on my Commell LV-671, and I too get the message on boot up.

As far as I can tell, and also as Commell Tech Support has told me, this is normal.

No, this is not normal. It depends on the type of harddisk you use which cable to select.

- superbowl

**Giuliano** · 02-15-2005, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by superbowl

No, this is not normal. It depends on the type of harddisk you use which cable to select.

- superbowl

There's a caveat with that - with 44-pin IDE 2.5" cables, yes, this is normal, as there are no 88-pin or 80-pin IDE cables for 2.5" drives.

At least, none that I could find.

For 3.5" IDE drives that do ATA/100/133, then no, that is not normal, and you have to use the 80-conductor cable for those drives.

Of course, if it's such a bother, you can use a 40-pin 80-conductor cable, and use a 2.5" drive adaptor.

**superbowl** · 02-15-2005, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by Giuliano

Of course, if it's such a bother, you can use a 40-pin 80-conductor cable, and use a 2.5" drive adaptor.

Fully agree ;-)

- superbowl

**SamDude** · 02-15-2005, 08:45 AM

@superbowl - thanks for your info. What I'm after is if a 80 pin (3.5" IDE) > 44 pin (2.5" IDE) cable is available (or not).

The PC works fine, its just that I don't like niggling 'warning' messages.

This must affect everyone who has a Mini-ITX based carputer and uses a 2.5" hard drive! So what's the fix? (apart from 'live with it').

**Giuliano** · 02-15-2005, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by SamDude

@superbowl - thanks for your info. What I'm after is if a 80 pin (3.5" IDE) > 44 pin (2.5" IDE) cable is available (or not).

The PC works fine, its just that I don't like niggling 'warning' messages.

This must affect everyone who has a Mini-ITX based carputer and uses a 2.5" hard drive! So what's the fix? (apart from 'live with it').

Well, supposedly the 80-conductor cable tells the IDE controller it's 80-conductors by shorting one of the pins to ground..

So it may be possible to slip a piece of jumper wire over one of the pins to "trick" it to thinking it's an 80-conductor.

I'll have to research that further, however, so don't go about trying it quite yet.

Or in other words, "live with it"..

**SamDude** · 02-15-2005, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Giuliano

Of course, if it's such a bother, you can use a 40-pin 80-conductor cable, and use a 2.5" drive adaptor.

Would that not create a 'bottleneck' which reduces the performance where the 80 connectors reduce to 40?

**superbowl** · 02-15-2005, 08:55 AM

Hi,

there is no bottleneck, because in a 80 pin cable, there are still only 40 pins transmitting the data, the other 40 are for shielding only.

I use a 2.5" disk with an adaptor... and a 80 pin cable (came with my mobo) and it runs fine !

- superbowl