Method and control apparatus for assigning ID numbers to IDE device

A method for assigning ID numbers to a plurality of IDE devices ranged in pain of IDE devices, comprising steps of:

• (1) providing a host electronic circuitry including a plurality of sets of ID indication pins and an ID set pin, a plurality of controllers each electrically connecting to the ID set pin and to a corresponding set of ID indication pins of the plurality of sets of ID indication pins of the host electronic circuitry, each controller controlling and electrically connecting with a pair of IDE devices of the plurality of IDE devices;
• (2) a user setting jumpers in the host electronic circuitry to assign unique values to the sets of ID indication pins;
• (3) each controller reading the corresponding value and being assigned a first ID number according to the value of the corresponding set of ID indication pins;
• and
• (4) each controller assigning a unique second ID number to each IDE device connecting thereto according to its own first ID number.

A method for assigning ID numbers to a plurality of IDE devices arranged in pairs of IDE devices, comprising steps of:

• (1) providing a host electronic circuitry including a plurality of sets of ID indication pins and an ID set pin, a plurality of controllers each electrically connecting to the ID set pin and to a corresponding set of ID indication pins of the plurality of sets of ID indication pins of the host electronic circuitry, each controller controlling and electrically connecting with a pair of IDE devices of the plurality of IDE devices;
• (2) having a user set jumpers in the host electronic circuitry to assign values to the sets of ID indication pins;
• (3) booting up the host electronic circuitry and the controllers;
• (4) having the host set the ID set pin from a first state to a second state within a predetermined period;
• (5) having the host verify that the ID set pin is in the second state, if the ID set pin is not in the second state, the process returning to step (4), and if the ID set pin is in the second state, having each controller read the value of the corresponding set of ID indication pins and accept a first ID number corresponding to the value;
• and
• (6) having each controller assign a second ID number to each IDE device connecting thereto according to its own first ID number.

A control apparatus assembly comprising:

• a host electronic circuitry including a plurality of sets of identification (ID) pins, each set of ID pins including N pins, wherein N is an integer and ≧2, each of said pins being represented by either logic “1” or logic “0”;
• a plurality of controllers each connected to each corresponding set of ID pins, said each corresponding set of ID pins being labeled with a unique ID number according to the logic “1” or logic “0” of the pins thereof;
• a plurality of sets of IDE (Integrated Device Electronics) devices each coupled to each corresponding controller, each set of IDE devices including M devices, wherein M is an integer and ≧2, each of said IDE devices connected to the corresponding controller via a switch which is further linked to a power source;
• wherein
• there are 2N controllers with different ID numbers from one another, and 2N×M IDE devices with different ID numbers from one another, so that the power source may activate each individual IDE device according to said different ID numbers thereof recognized by the host electronic circuitry.