diff --git a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
index 711595390996fe65c9474e7ebb4b82e36c40e359..62c4b328b0b6552b83361b5266ee026f5e63f23a 100644
--- a/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
+++ b/drivers/ata/libata-core.c
@@ -2353,6 +2353,18 @@ int ata_cable_unknown(struct ata_port *ap)
 	return ATA_CBL_PATA_UNK;
 }
 
+/**
+ *	ata_cable_ignore	-	return ignored PATA cable.
+ *	@ap: port
+ *
+ *	Helper method for drivers which don't use cable type to limit
+ *	transfer mode.
+ */
+int ata_cable_ignore(struct ata_port *ap)
+{
+	return ATA_CBL_PATA_IGN;
+}
+
 /**
  *	ata_cable_sata	-	return SATA cable type
  *	@ap: port
@@ -7665,4 +7677,5 @@ EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ata_dev_try_classify);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ata_cable_40wire);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ata_cable_80wire);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ata_cable_unknown);
+EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ata_cable_ignore);
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ata_cable_sata);
diff --git a/include/linux/ata.h b/include/linux/ata.h
index 43fecf62773afa034a00cf46b4290edd3784f0bc..c17e9404c88d662a6b1336d75cd93071f451cd7f 100644
--- a/include/linux/ata.h
+++ b/include/linux/ata.h
@@ -286,9 +286,10 @@ enum {
 	ATA_CBL_NONE		= 0,
 	ATA_CBL_PATA40		= 1,
 	ATA_CBL_PATA80		= 2,
-	ATA_CBL_PATA40_SHORT	= 3,		/* 40 wire cable to high UDMA spec */
-	ATA_CBL_PATA_UNK	= 4,
-	ATA_CBL_SATA		= 5,
+	ATA_CBL_PATA40_SHORT	= 3,	/* 40 wire cable to high UDMA spec */
+	ATA_CBL_PATA_UNK	= 4,	/* don't know, maybe 80c? */
+	ATA_CBL_PATA_IGN	= 5,	/* don't know, ignore cable handling */
+	ATA_CBL_SATA		= 6,
 
 	/* SATA Status and Control Registers */
 	SCR_STATUS		= 0,
diff --git a/include/linux/libata.h b/include/linux/libata.h
index d9eb20c67bb6564a6be27ee5cf657142c4c30af0..bdb7c6e13993502ffe129981869363d311f5087b 100644
--- a/include/linux/libata.h
+++ b/include/linux/libata.h
@@ -927,6 +927,7 @@ extern u8 ata_irq_on(struct ata_port *ap);
 extern int ata_cable_40wire(struct ata_port *ap);
 extern int ata_cable_80wire(struct ata_port *ap);
 extern int ata_cable_sata(struct ata_port *ap);
+extern int ata_cable_ignore(struct ata_port *ap);
 extern int ata_cable_unknown(struct ata_port *ap);
 
 /*