What do the terms master, slave, and Cable Select refer to in hardware?

The terms master, slave, and Cable Select pertain to jumper settings for internal hardware, specifically regarding the configuration of integrated devices like hard drives in a computer system.

In this context, "master" and "slave" refer to how two devices, typically connected to the same IDE or ATA channel, communicate with the controller. The device set as the master is the primary device that the system looks to boot from, while the slave device serves as a secondary device that can also be utilized but follows the master in the communication hierarchy.

Cable Select enables the system to automatically determine which device is the master and which is the slave based on their position on the IDE cable, simplifying the setup process. When configured properly, these jumper settings allow the system to correctly identify and utilize both drives.

The relevance of other options is less about the configurations of internal devices. External SCSI drives involve different connectivity standards and setups, while cable types for external hardware primarily discuss physical connections rather than device hierarchy. Internal expansion cards use a different interaction method and do not typically utilize master/slave configurations. Thus, the correct understanding of these terms is crucial for setting up and troubleshooting internal storage devices.