I'm not positive, but I don't think the PATA interface says you can only run two devices per channel, but I believe the other two must be something other than hard disk drives. I used to have a CD-ROM that allowed for tertiary and quaternary positions on the IDE channel.

I have a 40-Pin cable that allows for four devices. I have a feeling it might be an MKE cable as used by Panasonic CD-ROM drives. MKE stands for "Matsushita Kotobuki Electronic" which is basically Panasonic and is also used to refer to their proprietary CD-ROM interface.

I will post a pic if you want to see it because it is currently hooked up to a machine I am working on and plan to take a photo of anyway. But it is pretty boring. I bought (yeah... bought) it because it was the only lead long enough to reach the top drive bays in my K&M Jupiter Full ATX cases. I used to have more of them when I ran more drives, this one was running the CD-ROM drives (IDE) until they died a few years ago. The bags were unlabeled and came from the bargain bin in a long closed computer store.

When I say bought, I mean I walked out of the door of the shop with it. I knew the manager and he would let me take minor things like that free of charge. I really miss that shop 🙁

You could always use one of the extra connectors to get an IDE LED from the cable. I think it is pin 39 and pin 40.

So,the motherboards detect only two devices per channel IF we're talking about HDD, but one can connect more CD-ROM to one channel!! That is awesome and it comes in handy.

If you post those pics please let me know and I'll be also taking a look at the Full ATX case.

What about the floppy one?

I seem to recall that the floppy cable was for a tape drive? Perhaps Colorado Memory? It's been a while, but I'm almost positive.

Oldbitcollector wrote:

I seem to recall that the floppy cable was for a tape drive? Perhaps Colorado Memory? It's been a while, but I'm almost positive.

You are right. It's for a floppy based backup unit. My Colorado Travan uses the same cable.

And I don't believe you can add more than 2 ATAPI device on a single IDE channel. This IDE-like cable is probably something else.

There are also older floppy drives that use a slot connection rather than pins, just like the tape drives.

tayyare wrote:

And I don't believe you can add more than 2 ATAPI device on a single IDE channel. This IDE-like cable is probably something else.

IMHO, someone had IDE CD-drive and HDD in very distant bays (upper 5.25" one and not upper 3.5 one as the example). Standard IDE cables can't reach both devices in this configuration, the distance between connectors is not so long. So - the 3rd connector was added.
The default way was "connect the cable upwards-down" (now you can't reach the IDE slot on a motherboard) or "use 2 cables" (needs 2 IDE ports and only 2 IDE drives)...
I had a similar homemade cable in my PC.

That would be a good explanation. However, if this cable was modified it was not in a way that would allow to connect two distant devices. Because the third connector is only 5 cm more away than the slave connetor (cable total is 80cm).

Look, found this:

at http://www.pacificcable.com/Picture_Page.asp?DataName=IDE3

tayyare wrote:

Oldbitcollector wrote:

I seem to recall that the floppy cable was for a tape drive? Perhaps Colorado Memory? It's been a while, but I'm almost positive.

You are right. It's for a floppy based backup unit. My Colorado Travan uses the same cable.

(...).

Yes I have one of those colorado thingies, it just states Colorado 250MB.
Can you detach into two cables like the one I have?

Here's a photo:

TELEPACMAN wrote:

Yes I have one of those colorado thingies, it just states Colorado 250MB. Can you detach into two cables like the one I have? […]
Show full quote

tayyare wrote:

Oldbitcollector wrote:

I seem to recall that the floppy cable was for a tape drive? Perhaps Colorado Memory? It's been a while, but I'm almost positive.

You are right. It's for a floppy based backup unit. My Colorado Travan uses the same cable.

(...).

Yes I have one of those colorado thingies, it just states Colorado 250MB.
Can you detach into two cables like the one I have?

Here's a photo:

Exactly. The one with the male socket n the middle coms with the backup unit. The other is rather standard floppy cable.

But how do you explain THIS:

TELEPACMAN wrote:

But how do you explain THIS: […]
Show full quote

But how do you explain THIS:

How do I explain what, exactly?

How do explain my lack of logical thinking. Nevermind 😀 . Thanks anyway... by the way how't that tualatin 1.4/geforce2 ultra combo working for you? Do you have a post about it?

Here is my IDE cable, the one i mentioned earlier in the thread;

That pink blanket was the only thing I had on hand that it contrasted well with in the poor light.

A strange cable indeed.
Nice wood finish on your Jupiter by the way 😉