IDE Interface

Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) is really a misnomer in the way we use it today. IDE refers to any drive with the controller built-in. The interface most of us use, that we call IDE, is actually called ATA, or AT Attachment.

Most drives today are IDE. These drives have the controller built on. They plug into a bus connector on the motherboard or an adapter card. Such drives are easy to install and require a minimum number of cables. This is due to the fact that the controller is on the drive itself. Less parts are needed and the signal pathways can be much shorter. These short signal pathways improve reliability of the drive. Before, data could lose its integrity while traveling over cheap ribbon cables. Lastly, integrating the controller is easier on the manufacturer because they do not have to worry about complying with another manufacturer's controller. Each drive is an independent entity.

As said earlier, IDE is really a much broader term than what we usually use. Most of the time, one is referring to ATA IDE, simply because this is most popular. There are other types, including MCA IDE and XT IDE. These will be discussed briefly further down.