From: Lim Wei Siong Vincent Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] PCBUILD Digest - 1 Oct
1999 to 2 Oct 1999(#1999-273)


> Hi'er,
>
> Not really true that a PC is limited to 4 IDE devices.  Each interrupt can
> support 4 IDE devices using a 1st Master, 1st Slave, 2nd Master 2nd Slave
combo.
> If you have a Creative soundcard that has a IDE controller on it, you can
put at
> least another 2 more IDE devices, giving you a total of 6.  Or better, if
your
> m'board has two controllers like my Abit BP6, then you can have 8 IDE
devices.
>
I was thinking about buying the Abit BE6 motherboard but was concerned about
how many IRQ's it would use if you have 4 controllers enabled.  Wouldn't it
use 4 IRQ's?  Each IRQ on my current motherboards only support two IDE
channels, primary and secondary,  not 4 as you have stated. On the
motherboards I have used you have a primary and secondary controller, each
supporting a master and slave ide device, and that requires 2 IRQ's, so if
you have an ultra66 primary and secondary controller with a master and slave
on each controller, and an ultra 33 primary and secondary controller with a
master and slave on each controller, wouldn't you need 4 free IRQ's to be
able to enable all of the controllers.  Is this how it is working on your
Abit BP6 motherboard?

Mary Wolden

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