Round IDE cables, are they worse electrically?

[videobruce]

Are there problems with inductance/capacitance within these rounded IDE cables as oppose to the standard 80 wire flat cables since they were designed to have each data line separated by it's own ground wire?

Outer shields or not, a bunch of wires bundeled together would have to have some effect on data transfer.

This isn't a "really sooooo coooool" issue since you can't see these anyway assuming your case is covered with the proper side panels to reduce the RF leaking out from the processor so that your neighbors won't be bothered with RF radiation to interfer with any other RF device including radio scanners.

 

[spaceman_333]

The round cables are great. They allow for greater air flow through the case and off the CPU so everything runs cooler. And, working with them is easier.

Spaceman

 

[$teve]

not seen them in the uk yet.........cant wait,they look less fiddley.

 

[JohnWill]

Actually, I've used both the round and flat cables, both have their advantages. The round ones seem to be stiffer, and sometimes it takes some convincing for them to go where you want. I actually prefer the flat ones, I route them neatly and tie them down with flat cable clamps.

 

[videobruce]

The key word here is "electrically", not what they look like or ease of instalation!

 

[JohnWill]

I don't know of any significant difference electrically, but that will depend on the specifics of the round cables. The flat cables just have 80 conductors, with 40 of them being interspersed grounds to minimize crosstalk between the signals. The round cables are constructed with flat cable rolled up or twisted pair cable, they'd have different characteristics. I can't honestly say which would be better, though my gut tells me the twisted pair ones are probably electrically superior.

 

[ozinpho]

Hi, round data cables are used a lot in industry where they can be fed through machine frames, out of the way.

 

[McTimson]

I made my own rounded cables from flat ones, and they work just as well as the flat ones did. I don't know about this 40 pin and 80 pin stuff, I just cut and taped...

 

[JohnWill]

Actually, the 40pin vs. 80pin is very important to higher DMA speeds. If you use 40 pin cables, you're limited to ATA33 DMA speeds, the controller senses the cable type. For maximum performance, you want the 80 conductor cables.

You might ask, "How can I tell?", since both have 40 pin connectors. Look closely at the cable to the floppy and to the hard disk. It should be obvious if the HD cable has smaller, closer spaced conductors. If so, it's 80 conductor cable, if it looks just like the floppy cable, it's 40 conductor.