Short for Integrated Drive Electronics, IDE is more commonly known as ATA or PATA (parallel ATA). It is a standard interface for IBM computers that was first developed by Western Digital and Compaq in 1986 for compatible hard drives and CD or DVD drives.
IDE is different than SCSI and ESDI (Enhanced Small Disk Interface) because its controllers are on each drive, meaning the drive can connect directly to the motherboard or controller. IDE and its updated successor, EIDE (Enhanced IDE), are common drive interfaces found in IBM compatible computers. Below is a picture of the IDE connector on a hard drive, IDE cable, and the IDE channels on the motherboard.
How many drives can each IDE channel support?
Each IDE channel can support two drives. A single IDE ribbon cable has three connection. One connection connects to the motherboard and the other two connections are available for the two drives.
ATX style connector-
An ATX style connector is a replacement for the older P8 and P9 AT style connector. It is one of the largest connectors inside a computer. It connects a power supply to an ATX style motherboard. As shown in the picture, the 20-pin cable is a multi-color cable and may be labeled as P1.
In the pictures, the ATX cable connector has a small clip on the top, which snaps and holds the cable in place. This cable is also keyed, meaning it only connects in one direction.
A power supply with a 24-pin connector can be used on a motherboard with a 20-pin connector by leaving the four additional pins disconnected.
However, if you have a 24-pin connection on your motherboard all 24-pins need to be connected. If you are using a power supply that does not have a 24-pin connector, you need to purchase a new power supply.
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