[G4] 3rd HD - - Tired subject, sorry...

[Ronald Steinke]

A couple of observations for your posting:

On 8 August, 2006, at 10:46:56, Slip Kid wrote:

> My rig:
>
> Power Mac G4 [GE]
> PowerMac3,3
> CPU  PowerPC G4  (2.9)
> 400 MHz
> L2 Cache (per CPU):	1 MB
> 512 MB
> Bus 100 MHz
> Boot ROM Version:	4.2.8f1
> OSX 10.4.7
> Disc 0 - - 80Gig
> Disc 1 - - 120Gig
> (I can boot from either disc, my 'plan' only involves using a 3rd  
> disc for storage)
>
> Anyway, I realize the 3rd disc has been addressed here and on Usenet.
> Sorry, I'm unable to get a firm "yes/no" regarding if I can use the  
> Zip IDE for an HD.
>

If the drive is an IDE ATA drive, it can be attached to the IDE  
ribbon that normally would be used for the Zip drive in that bay.

> (It's also confusing that the 'bottom' bay will accept a skuz..and  
> not an ATA?
> That is, my manual shows a 3rd HD in the HD bay - - Why not a 3rd  
> ATA, there?...

Because you don't have a third IDE controller and bus socket  
available on the motherboard. You have to add a PCI IDE controller  
card to get the necessary socket to attach another IDE ribbon that  
would plug into the extra hard drive. You should note that there IS a  
third power plug available from the power supply and it is hanging  
right next to the other power wires. This power plug would be the one  
you would use if you mounted a third drive in the third bay.

Your motherboard only has two IDE sockets on it. Those sockets will  
only accept TWO devices on each socket, one must be the Master and  
the other must be the Slave unless you use the Cable Select bridge  
setting for the ID jumper. In order to add yet another drive, whether  
it is IDE or SCSI does not matter, you will have to install a third  
IDE controller circuit; ie: a PCI IDE Controller card. That is where  
you get the ribbon connection for the third drive.

If you already have a SCSI controller card installed, you can get a  
ribbon with multiple connectors and mount as many drives as you have  
the power plugs to connect to. At least, up to seven drives because  
that is the SCSI device limit just as two devices is the IDE device  
limit per bus.

> So, near as I can tell it is 'possible' to plant an HD on the Zip  
> cable? (Just that, not a new IDE fix...simply hook the 3rd HD to  
> the Zip cable (And no, I have yet to use the Zip...I won't miss it)
>
> But, the drawbacks [?]:
>

You can put the added drive on the Zip ribbon. It will possibly run  
slower because of the speed of that bus, but you probably won't  
notice much difference in speed until you try to copy a large file or  
render a complicated graphic image file.

> 	II. Why would the Zip (& Rom) channels be slower (by design/default)?
> I can run DMA w/a HD or optical on *any* IDE channel on a winbox)

Not without making sure of the IDE identification for each device on  
the bus. An ID conflict can cause your winbox multiple problems.