SATA and SCSI Cables

SATA Cables

SATA cableSATA (Serial ATA) cables are used to connect high-speed SATA drives to the motherboard. SATA cables have only seven conductors and are therefore much thinner than ribbon-type IDE cables, which improves airflow and makes them easier to route inside the case.

SATA cables can be as long as one meter in length and are more rugged than IDE cables, which provides for more flexibility in choosing where to mount hard drives. They're also capable of very high data transfer rates -- as high as 300 MB/sec.

 

Image courtesy of Seagate Corp.SATA devices also use a special power cable. Some SATA drives introduced during the initial transitional period also accepted a standard ATX power connector, but pretty all new power supplies now include SATA connectors.

If your power supply doesn't have SATA connectors, however, you can purchase an inexpensive adaptor that will convert an existing hard drive power connector to SATA.

 

SCSI Cables

Image courtesy of Acme Technology, Ltd.Internal and external SCSI (pronounced "skuzzy") cables are available in a truly staggering variety of shapes, sizes, and even colors to meet the various SCSI standards that have evolved over time, and the needs of designers and users.

SCSI is an excellent interface that has many advantages. However, our research indicates that it is of almost no interest to home computer builders (especially now that SATA is gaining in popularity).

Since very few of our vistors have expressed any interest in this fine interface, and since the standards sets for SCSI are ponderous and would require an inordinate amount of space given the limited interest, we will merely provide this link for those who do wish to learn more about SCSI.

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