Increasing available IDE channels

Computer Forum Storage Devices
1

This is not something I need to do, I am just curious if it would work or not.

Lets say you have a motherboard with a standard 2 IDE channels. You connect 2 hard drives and 2 CD-ROM drives. What happens when you need to connect another hard drive (not by USB - no cheating!)

Can you connect a PCI IDE interface so as to add another 1 or 2 IDE channels? Would the BIOS detect the card and ultimately, the hard drives and/or CD-ROM drives? Would they be bootable?

Also, instead of installing a PCI IDE interface card, can you install a SATA card instead alongside the onboard IDE?

I know that SCSI would be the ideal option here, but if you don’t have SCSI, what other options do you have?

2

There are PCI IDE, SATA or SCSI controllers one can add to give yourself more channels.

3

Would they be automatically detected by the BIOS, since the CMOS only gives options for the onboard IDE channels

4

[QUOTE=megamaced]
Would they be automatically detected by the BIOS, since the CMOS only gives options for the onboard IDE channels
[/QUOTE]
Sometimes, but it doesn’t matter – add-in controllers have their own BIOSes, so drives connected are bootable.

5

Just like when you add USB cards or any expansion card for that matter…
No? BIOS detects it and then it is just there to be used isn’t it?

I always took it for granted… sort of.

6

[QUOTE=sabashuali]
Just like when you add USB cards or any expansion card for that matter…
No? BIOS detects it and then it is just there to be used isn’t it?

I always took it for granted… sort of.
[/QUOTE]
USB controllers don’t have BIOSes, I was referring to IDE, SATA, SCSI controllers.

7

You can keep adding IDE controllers as long as you have enough PCI slots for them :slight_smile:

8

So if you wanted to uprgrade a motherboard’s IDE channels with SATA channels, all you need to do is disable the onboard IDE and plug in the SATA interface card?

9

I don’t know why you would need to disable the IDE but if it is so maybe someone can explain why?

10

[QUOTE=sabashuali]
I don’t know why you would need to disable the IDE but if it is so maybe someone can explain why?
[/QUOTE]

You might need to disable the onboard IDE if the controller/paddle board started malfunctioning.

Like I said, this isn’t something I need to do, I am just curious.