Cabling standards (PATA/IDE): An IDE (PATA) ribbon cable connects a drive to the motherboard using how many pins on the connector?

Introduction / Context:
Parallel ATA (IDE) dominated PC storage for many years. Technicians should recognize the physical characteristics of IDE cabling to avoid damaging connectors, misidentifying ports, or using the wrong cables for drives.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We refer to classic PATA/IDE, not SATA.
• Standard desktop implementations are assumed.
• 80-conductor cables still use the same 40-pin connectors.

Concept / Approach:

IDE/PATA uses a 40-pin, 2-row header and mating connector. Later “Ultra DMA” modes require an 80-conductor ribbon for signal integrity, but the connector itself remains 40 pins. Distinguishing pin count (40) from conductor count (40 vs 80) prevents confusion when upgrading or troubleshooting transfer-rate issues.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Motherboard and drive manuals list a 40-pin IDE interface; visual inspection confirms two rows of 20 pins each.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 25 / 50 / 65 / 100: Do not match the standardized IDE header pin count.

Common Pitfalls:

Confusing 80-conductor with 80-pin; mixing up SCSI 50-pin ribbon connectors with IDE; using cable select incorrectly without matching jumper/cable design.

Final Answer:

40