Is there any electrical difference between 80 pin ribbon for hdd versus cd drives. I have noticed that most of the desktops I come across use what I will call a SOLID type meaning all 80 wires between #0 and #1 drives are packed next to each other while these same wires for OPTICAL drives are SPLIT along the wires forming 3 groups of wires at the #0/#1 position. I have always used these ribbons in these positions with optical on secondary and hdd on primary, typically 1 hdd except when cloning. Can these two cables be reversed or use SOLID for all drives? I always use CS for all drives. Works fine.
the difference between the 2 ide cables is 1 is a 40 conducter(older computers) & the 2nd is 80 conducter(mew computers) even tho both use 40 pin connectors. i've done it in reverse but depends on cable sometimes. i always do master & slave & very rarely cable select.
