Sata Versus Pata
Sata Versus Pata
Sata Versus Pata
The acronyms SATA and PATA refer to the way in which data is
encoded and transported electronically. Parallel interfaces break
a byte into eight bits and send each bit down individual wires. A
clock signal is sent down a separate wire. On the receiving end,
with each stroke of the clock, the eight bits are re-assembled into
a byte. Thus, a bunch of relatively slow signals sent down a
common bus can be aggregated into a single fast signal. The
frequency with which the clock strikes is typically measured in
megahertz (MHz); if you multiply the number of MHz by the
number of bytes transferred with each cycle, you get the speed
of the bus in megabytes per second. Serial interfaces also rely on
a clock to identify the individual bits of data. The difference is
that the bits all run down the same set of wires along with the
clock signal.
Should you care? Probably not; as long as your data reliably gets
transferred, your job is done.
Is there something wrong with parallel signaling?
Not really. The biggest challenge for parallel signaling is that, as
the clock gets faster and faster, it is increasingly difficult from
an engineering perspective to ensure that all of the related bits
arrive at the end of the cable at the same stroke of the clock. If
they don't, you get a transmission error. Thus, in order for
parallel interfaces to get faster and faster, they require tighter
and tighter cabling specifications.
Should you care which kind of cable is used? Probably not, but
PC manufacturers may prefer a skinny SATA cable to a bulky
PATA
SATA
Data burst
Rate
Up to 133MB/s
Up to 150 MB/s
(SATA I)
Up to 300 MB/s
(SATA II)
Sustained
throughput
52MB/s
55MB/s
Cable pins
40
Power connect
pins
15
Cable length
18"
40" (1 meter)
Hot pluggable
No
Yes
Power
consumption
5V
250mV
Yes (Drive 0 or
Drive 1)
No
Jumper settings
150 MB/s
Currently
300 MB/s
by 2005 and
600 MB/s
by 2008
1 Meter
(about 40
inches)
Cable Pins
40
Power
Connector
Pins
15
Data transfer
wires used
26
Power
5V
250 mV
Consumption
Hot
Swappable?
No
Yes
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Hardware, Configurations & Pictures
Between the last quarter of 2002 and the first quarter of 2003,
motherboards with onboard SATA adapters were released to the
public market. For users that are not ready to purchase new
motherboards, SATA RAID controllers are available as well.
Most Hard drive manufacturers released their first SATA hard
drives for sale in the first or second quarter of 2003. For those
that would like to take advantage of SATA's longer and thinner
cabling requirements without having to purchase new hard
drives, SATA adapters, can be purchased to convert current
drives to accept SATA cables. To fully implement the SATA
standard a new motherboard, a new hard drive or other storage
device and a new power supply or power adapter must be
purchased. Its unknown how soon power supplies with new
SATA power connectors will be available for sale but, for the
time being, power adapters, can be used with existing power
supplies.
When looking at the hardware for serial connections, one can
easily see the differences between it and parallel ATA. A sideby-side comparison of the two connectors on a motherboard is
shown in figure 1. As shown, the SATA connector is much
smaller than its parallel counterpart. This effectively means that
Then, connect one end of the serial cable to the adapter and the
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Conclusion
It is unknown how quickly most consumers will begin using
Serial ATA devices. The majority of current PC users will not
want to trade in their existing system just to take advantage of a
few extra MB/s. However, many technical users and PC junkies
may find themselves huddled over their favorite suppliers?
website waiting for the instant the next set of SATA drives
become available for sale. Furthermore, many Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will look to incorporate
SATA devices in their PCs in the near future. The Parallel ATA
interface is one of the few aspects of a computer system that has
remained unchanged for many years. However, it appears PATA
may be in search for its final resting spot once Serial ATA begins
to consume the retail market.