I usually make my DVR with the DOM chip inserted in the IDE cable that goes from the motherboard to the DVD drive. Now I have a SATA dvd drive an IDE harddrive. Can I put the DOM chip in the IDE cable running from the hard drive to the motherboard? Will it work the same or will it even work at all? Just wanted to see before I did anything in case it will ruin the DOM. Thanks for any help!!!

Yes.

The IDE bus must be configured though, each IDE port supports 2 devices a Master and a Slave.

Ideally you would have multiple IDE ports, the DOM as master on IDE1 and the DVD/HDD whatever as Master on IDE2.

If you don't have 2 ports use the DOM as master and the storage drive as slave or better yet use the SATA for storage and just start getting DOMs that plug directly into the motherboard.

You may need to modify the BIOS as some disable unused IDE ports, so if you think you have a bad/broken port it may just be disabled.

Is there anything I have to do with the jumpers on the back of the hard drive?

Yes thats how you configure the IDE bus.

It seems that IDE is on its way out..the new MB now usually have only 1 IDE slot and maybe 8 SATA slots, but I think the DOM will meet hard competition from USB devices in the future.

I am right now working on Windows XP embedded that will be used with a USB stick; XPe + DVR Software on USB and then database/video files on HDD. Also a USB stick now comes with 10 Year warranty, HDD is only 3!


JD

Sounds interesting, but now they will need to put usb ports on the INside of the computer cases...

Thats not the trouble, most motherboards already have USB headers. Thats how you get the USB ports on the front of your case.

The trouble is usually booting from USB drives, you have to really look of system BIOSes that support that.

Otherwise a DOM and a USB stick are essentially the same inside aside from the massive transfer speed difference between PATA and USB 2.0. As you can make these solid state drives predictably sequential they will max the IDE bus unlike normal data drives.

USB 3.0 is coming and it will have a higher transfer rate then HDD, so that is one of the thing that makes it intresting.

JD

Right now though USB is slow, compared to HDD and then Solid State Flash Drives ... anyone used the Gigabyte iRam before, the ones that use RAM? I wish they would start selling those again, regardless of their own issues (loose power, loose everything).

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Storage/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2180
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-51784544344753709

Anyway, HDD will be gone soon hopefully, by the end of this year or early next year, there should be some 500GB Solid State 3.5" Flash Drives :)
(if they aren't already out, read about it a few months back)