Intel Desktop Board DG965SS Product Guide 
40 
Connecting the IDE Cable 
The IDE cable can connect two drives to the desktop board.  The cable supports the 
ATA-66/100 transfer protocol.  
Figure 20 shows the correct installation of the cable. 
 
NOTES 
ATA-66/100 compatible cables are backward compatible with drives using slower IDE 
transfer protocols.  If an ATA-66/100 disk drive and a disk drive using any other IDE 
transfer protocol are attached to the same cable, the maximum transfer rate between 
the drives may be reduced to that of the slowest drive. 
Do not connect an ATA device as a slave on the same IDE cable as an ATAPI master 
device.  For example, do not connect an ATA hard drive as a slave to an ATAPI 
CD-ROM drive. 
 
For correct function of the cable: 
•  Observe the precautions in "
Before You Begin" on page 25. 
•  Attach the cable end with the single connector (blue) to the Intel desktop board 
(
Figure 20, A). 
•  Attach the cable end with the two closely spaced connectors (gray and black) to 
the drives (
Figure 20, B). 
 
Figure 20.  Connecting the IDE Cable