SATA
SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, or Serial ATA) is the standard interface used in modern IBM compatible computers for data access. It is used to transfer data at very high rates of 1.5 to 6 gigabytes per second through a thin, compact SATA cable.
The SATA cable is primarily used to connect internal hard drives to a computer motherboard, but it can also be used to connect hard drives to hard drives, ATA and ATAPI devices to computer motherboards, and for external computer connections.
Hard drive to motherboard connections are exceptionally fast and high performance with the SATA interface. Version 1 of the SATA cable can transfer 1.5 gigabytes of data per second, version 2 can transfer 3 gigabytes per second and version 3 can transfer 6 gigabytes per second.
Hard drive to hard drive connections can also be achieved with a SATA cable. The SATA ports on the hard drives can be adjusted by moving a small plastic peg from one pin to another, to establish which hard drive is the primary one and which is the secondary one.
ATA and ATAPI devices to motherboard connections can include devices like CD-ROM’s and other removable media drives. These all have SATA ports and can be connected to the SATA port on a computer motherboard.
External computer connections are achieved with the eSATA (external SATA) cable, which transfers data at the same rate as a regular SATA cable but connects externally to a computer in the same way as a USB cable. They can be used with any device that has an eSATA port.
At QCC we supply all sorts of SATA cables for every device and application. If you need a specific type of SATA cable that isn’t available off-the-shelf, just make a requestand we can source it for you or manufacture it at our Custom Cable Build Centre.
Types of SATA Cable
E-Sata: Connects externally to your computer with cable lengths ranging from 0.5-2m long.
Low Profile SATA: Ultra-thin SATA cables with low profile connectors that can be used with longer graphics cards.
Micro SATA: Combined micro SATA, Molex 5V power and SATA data cable for internal drives and backplane applications.
SATA Bracket: Dual port eSATA expansion brackets to make your computer outputs compatible with eSATA drives.
SATA Bridge: Seamlessly connects ATA devices to a SATA motherboard or PCI card.
SATA Power: Power adaptors, extensions and splitters for SATA power and data cables.
SATA-SATA: Standard SATA cables in a variety of lengths.
Which SATA Cable Do I Need?
When installing new internal or external hardware into your computer, you need to know which SATA cable connection it requires so that you connect the correct ports and cables.
There are 3 main SATA cable connections for computers: a standard two-connection SATA cable, a three-connection SATA cable, and an eSATA cable. Here’s how to figure out which one you’ll need:
- Take the single SATA cable with 2 connection plugs – this is either going to be a standard SATA cable or an eSATA cable.
- Check the connectors on the cable – if one of the connectors has 4 large pins on the interior, it is astandard SATA cable and is used with internal hard drives, DVD drives and other internal hardware.
- Check the size of the cable connectors – if both cable connectors are thin, with no large pins, it is aneSATA cable and is used with external connections such as USB and Firewire.
- Take the SATA cable with 3 connection plugs – one plug will have 4 large connection pins and the other 2 are thinner. This is a Y splitter cable and will send the data from a hard drive or DVD drive to 2 separate motherboards.
The Advantages of SATA Cables over PATA
Modern computers will have one of 2 types of hard drive connections: Parallel ATA (PATA) or Serial ATA (SATA). However PATA is gradually being phased out and completely replaced with SATA, which offers numerous benefits for your computer and data transfer:
Faster data transfer: Parallel connections don’t support multi-tasking very well while they are transferring data. This makes them much slower than serial connections, which are able to support multiple transfers simultaneously. The improved data transfer speed of SATA connections allows for programs, pictures and large documents to load faster as well as smoother game play.
Better airflow: The smaller size of SATA cables increases the airflow inside the computer case and prevents heat from building up, which can help to improve the life and overall performance of your computer.
Multiple drive support: While there are typically only 2 PATA connections on a computer motherboard, it will usually have 4 to 6 SATA connections which allows for multiple SATA hard drives to be connected at once.
Easier cable management: SATA cables are much thinner compared to PATA cables, which makes them easier to manage and control and to keep your system tidy. SATA cables are also much longer and can be up to 1 metre in length while the maximum length of PATA cables is 18 inches (approximately 45cm). This gives you more flexibility on where you can mount your hard drive in your computer case.
SATA Pinout
The SATA interface uses 7-pin cables for data connection, to supply 4 conductors shielded with ground supplied by the other 3 pins. It uses a 4 conductor cable with 2 differential pairs, along with an additional 3 ground pins and a separate power connector.
Below is the pinout for a standard SATA cable, where Transmit pins are connected to Receive pins on the other side, and the SATA connector is keyed at pin 7.
1 GND Ground
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