cd-rom with burner ribbon question?

[EvilHorace]

Being that I have to buy a longer ribbon for my newest mobo install with my server case (wasn't a problem with last mobo due to location), I'm wondering if I should get two ribbons instead so that each cd device has its own cable instead of sharing one. I havent had problems with them sharing, just wondering if two are better as I have 2 IDE connectors on the mobo that I can use (SCSI HDDs so that's not a problem).

I've read where some say each cd device is best with its own cable, is that true?

[NascarFool]

Putting the drives on their own IDE channel is better than running them in a Slave/Master setup.

[dadx2mj]

I think it would be better for burning from you CDROM to your burner on the fly.

[DocSilly]

dadx2mj is correct.

IDE on a single channel can only read/write to one device at a time ... so doing an on-the-fly copy from CD to burner would be like this:
CD reads data ... burner writes data ... CD reads data ... burner writes data ... etc.
With 2 IDE channels you can read from channel 1 and write at the same time on channel 2.

It's not a biggy anymore nowadays with most burners using burnproof but it was a serious problem prior to burnproof, causing lotsa coasters with both drives on the same IDE channel.

[EvilHorace]

Well, they're going on two seperate cables as the cable is long enough if it doesn't loop between the 2 drives (otherwise not) and I have plenty of extra IDE cables.
They were set up as primary/slave when on the same cable (channel) so now, do I leave it that way or should I then jump the one now slave to a primary too?

[Sean]

That (if there's nothing else on the same channels) or Cable Select, which I find the easiest to do.

[Busby]

Cable select can have problems. I know it works on UDMA66/100/133 cables but I don't think regular IDE cables work right. Jumper each as a master.

[EvilHorace]

OK, thanks guys.