DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

My new PC and a hole in IDE Cable !!

14 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/my-new-pc-and-a-hole-in-ide-cable.85387/

V
vvvaishakh Original post #1
Apr 15, 2008 at 12:08 AM
*xs226.xs.to/xs226/08161/box-open512.jpg
Its not really a problem, as I have found out.
This desktop board comes with this kind of IDE Cable.
But could anyone please tell me what this is?
dOm1naTOr
Apr 15, 2008 at 12:13 AM
If the inner wires are intact then no probs dude. See if the cut is in b/w the wires.
V
Apr 15, 2008 at 12:16 AM
If the inner wires are intact then no probs dude. See if the cut is in b/w the wires.

The cut is in the wires. But no problem with working. Also, all cables in this motherboard type ( intel D101GGC ) comes with this kind of Cable. I just wanna know if it is something like an alternative to setting jumper or something like that. Any geeks in here who could help me?
S
spikygv #4
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:08 AM
i dont think there is anything special . as long as the wires arent cut , its fine.
As the devices are working fine, i dont think there is anything to bother about.
desiibond
Apr 15, 2008 at 11:33 AM
That's not a problem at all. Saw the same thing in my friend's gigabyte board but no issues till now.
infra_red_dude
Apr 15, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I do not remember which Pin it is but thats not a problem. That pin on the IDE cable is for enabling Cable Select Slave. Remember teh Master and Slave jumper? If this pin is connected (no hole) then its Master.

If there is a hole in the cable connecting that pin then you can remove the Master/Slave jumper altogether and the cable will automatically select which is master and which is slave. Note however that if you haf the hole and yet use the jumper to set Master/Slave then the jumper setting will override the cable select.

Hope I didn't confuse you :)

Edit: In this type of cable, the drive on the end of the cable (near hole) is slave and the once connected to the mid is master.
V
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:28 PM
I do not remember which Pin it is but thats not a problem. That pin on the IDE cable is for enabling Cable Select Slave. Remember teh Master and Slave jumper? If this pin is connected (no hole) then its Master.

If there is a hole in the cable connecting that pin then you can remove the Master/Slave jumper altogether and the cable will automatically select which is master and which is slave. Note however that if you haf the hole and yet use the jumper to set Master/Slave then the jumper setting will override the cable select.

Hope I didn't confuse you :)

Edit: In this type of cable, the drive on the end of the cable (near hole) is slave and the once connected to the mid is master.

OK. Now I have replaced the cable with one without a hole!!!
The speed of DVD Drive is found to be less ( reading speed is less, but no prob. with writing ). Another point is that the DVD Region code is changed to 5. There is problem reading certain DVDs like that of SONY. How could you explain that?

Also, now there is no jumper set.
It is running on UDMA4 on secondary IDE Channel.

PS: only one DVD drive at the end.
dheeraj_kumar
Apr 15, 2008 at 2:55 PM
What is the make and model number of the dvd drive?
infra_red_dude
Apr 15, 2008 at 3:49 PM
OK. Now I have replaced the cable with one without a hole!!!
The speed of DVD Drive is found to be less ( reading speed is less, but no prob. with writing ). Another point is that the DVD Region code is changed to 5. There is problem reading certain DVDs like that of SONY. How could you explain that?
Looks like a bad cable, thats all. The hole has gotta do with cable select master/slave and nothing else.
V
Apr 15, 2008 at 5:10 PM
Looks like a bad cable, thats all. The hole has gotta do with cable select master/slave and nothing else.

If it was for the cable select, the grounded middle part will be master and the one at the end will be slave, right? But the hole was such that both the connected device would miss a pin ( maybe ground, as u said, was for cable select ). How could u explain that?
infra_red_dude
Apr 15, 2008 at 5:36 PM
If it was for the cable select, the grounded middle part will be master and the one at the end will be slave, right? But the hole was such that both the connected device would miss a pin ( maybe ground, as u said, was for cable select ). How could u explain that?
I dont get you. You mean to say the the hole is in the middle connector?
slugger
slugger #12
Apr 15, 2008 at 6:24 PM
looks like the bond between the wires have come undone

never seen it happening b4

us a magnifyin glass and see if the insulation too is missin in the gap

if yes, u may wan2 seek replacement
infra_red_dude
Apr 15, 2008 at 7:54 PM
Ok, I get it. Just went over to a fren's comp and checked. The cut is in the part which connects to the motherboard. Also counted the pin at which the hole exists. Its Pin 28. This pin is used for cable select signal, as I said (Pin assignment: *www.archonmagnus.com/computing/elec/IDEpins.php).

When grounded (no hole) means the device is master. When not grounded (cut, hole) it refers to slave. The gray connector (middle one) is the slave and the black (other end) is the master. Now as per this terminology the master should haf the 28th pin grounded (connected, no hole).

My assumption is that pin 28 of the black connector is simply connected to one of the other grounds available (see the pin assignments). It needn't necessarily be connected to Pin 28. Its just ground, after all. Hence the gray (slave) connector has a hole in 28th pin while the black (master) has all connections intact and this is how it is implemented by making a hole in the 28th pin on the connector which plugs into the motherboard.

You may count the pin at which you can see the hole yourself easily and also do some tests. Put the jumper in CSEL on the HDD/Optical drive and try out different combos.
V
Apr 16, 2008 at 5:59 PM
Ok, I get it. Just went over to a fren's comp and checked. The cut is in the part which connects to the motherboard. Also counted the pin at which the hole exists. Its Pin 28. This pin is used for cable select signal, as I said (Pin assignment: *www.archonmagnus.com/computing/elec/IDEpins.php).

When grounded (no hole) means the device is master. When not grounded (cut, hole) it refers to slave. The gray connector (middle one) is the slave and the black (other end) is the master. Now as per this terminology the master should haf the 28th pin grounded (connected, no hole).

My assumption is that pin 28 of the black connector is simply connected to one of the other grounds available (see the pin assignments). It needn't necessarily be connected to Pin 28. Its just ground, after all. Hence the gray (slave) connector has a hole in 28th pin while the black (master) has all connections intact and this is how it is implemented by making a hole in the 28th pin on the connector which plugs into the motherboard.

You may count the pin at which you can see the hole yourself easily and also do some tests. Put the jumper in CSEL on the HDD/Optical drive and try out different combos.

OK Now its all clear to me.
But as I have said about the problem now, it is not some other cable or so.
I just cut the cable near the hole and crimped it to the motherboard connector ( all parts are of same cable)!!! Now, my drive is kinda slow! It reads some DVDs with 12x speed ( which previously read at 16x ) and some other DVDs like that of sony's is read at 2x to 5x!!!.

One observation was that I used nero drive speed and that program was unable to change the speed of drive. I can't read dvds easiely. There is little problem with CDs.

Its a SONY DVD RW G170 A. Firmware 1.74. DVD Region code set to 5 ( no idea whoever did that !!! ).

What might be the problem?