When two IDE devices share a channel and one device is faster, which device should be set as master?

In an IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) configuration, when two devices share a channel, one device must be designated as the master while the other is set as the slave. The master device is the one that controls the data communication on that channel. When one of these devices is faster, it is advantageous to set the faster device as the master.

This is primarily because the master device will dictate the speed at which data is transferred. If the slower device were set as the master, the overall performance of the channel would be limited to the slower device's speed, which could bottleneck the faster device’s capabilities. By setting the faster device as the master, you ensure that the data transfer operates at a more efficient speed, maximizing the performance of the entire system when both devices are in use.

In addition, some IDE configurations and protocols are optimized for performance with the faster device managing the transactions, which is more effective for system efficiency and responsiveness. Thus, having the faster device as the master makes the most sense in terms of optimizing performance while sharing a channel.