IDE cables transmit data between an IDE device and a motherboard. The three connectors on the IDE cable are spaced, two close together and one at the other end of the ribbon. The stand-alone connector at the end goes to your motherboard. The other two cables go to the master and slave drive. There are 40 holes in the connector consisting of 2 rows of 20 holes. One of the holes in the middle is blocked to let you know which way to insert the cable into the socket.
Specifications:
40-Pin IDE Dual Drive Cable
Flat ribbon design allows cable to be placed in tight or small areas within computer