Iomega 03798300 Understanding IDE/ATAPI Connections, What is IDE?, How IDE Works, What is ATAPI?

User’s Guide

Understanding IDE/ATAPI Connections

What is IDE?

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is the built-in system a PC computer uses to connect drives to the computer. You may have also heard it called ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment)—they mean the same thing.

How IDE Works

There are usually two places on the motherboard for the IDE cables to connect. These are the primary and secondary IDE channel connections. The hard drive usually uses the primary connection. The IDE channel connections are usually located next to each other either end-to-end or one above the other. They are also generally labeled on the motherboard as “pri IDE” and “sec IDE” or something similar. If you are unsure of where the IDE channels for your computer are located, refer to your computer’s documentation.

The IDE channels can support a maximum of two drives each. If there are two drives connected to the IDE interface cable, one drive must be configured as a master and the other as a slave. If only one drive is attached to the cable, it is configured as a master.

What is ATAPI?

IDE (ATA) was originally designed for hard disks only, not removable devices such as Zip® drives, CD drives and tape drives. ATAPI, which stands for Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface, is designed to bridge this gap and support removable drives. ATAPI devices use your IDE channel to communicate with the computer.

Jumper Settings

The jumper is the small plastic piece that surrounds two pins and can be removed and placed in different locations as needed. There are different jumper configurations that can be used with ATAPI devices such as your Zip® drive. There are also jumper blocks located on the back of your CD drive and hard drive. If you need to change the settings on your CD drive, refer to the table on the next page on the CD drive or in its documentation. This diagram shows the possibilities for the Zip Internal drive.

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