Re: Question: EMI Shielding for IDE cables

From: dude (dast7777_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 08/20/04 

Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 23:25:57 -0500

"Rich Grise" <null@example.net> wrote in message
news:lo7Vc.38804$SC1.3983@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...
> blue wrote:
>
> > I am using flat ribbon IDE cables, 80 conductor / 40 pin. I understand
> > that the second connector is a ground, which should eliminate cable
> > crosstalk. But I do believe that my problem is actual RF or EMI
> > interference. I need to use longer cables because of the chassis
layout -
> > 24" - 36". It would seem to be quite easy to shield the rounded cables
> > from EMI with some aluminum tape, I just don't really know what I need
to
> > consider. An EMI shield doesn't really make sense to me without a
ground.
> > And, is aluminum muffler tape the right stuff to use?
>
> It would certainly work, as long as you're sure that you make a good
> connection to it. You can't solder aluminum, you know - I'd seriously look
> into some kind of contact that's designed to connect aluminum to copper.
>

Bad shielding could cause data transfer errors but could it really cause the
loss of the partition table? Assuming you are using FAT32 or something
similar I could see the FAT getting corrupted but the partition table? That
would require writes to sectors that shouldn't normally be written to.

are you sure something isn't erasing the drives themselves? like very strong
interference hitting the drives from the power supply?

Also, couldn't you put those round metal rings around the power cables to
stop some of the interference? not sure how much those help???

:{

> And only ground it at one end.
>
> It would also probably help to see to it that it's not a spiral-wound
> inductor - be sure that there's contact from one strip to the next.
>
> Or, get really wide aluminum tape and attach it lengthwise.
>
> Good Luck!
> Rich
>

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