SATA and eSATA Interfaces

Question

Answer

What does SATA stand for?

Serial AT Attachment

What is SATA the standard interface for?

Connecting hard drives inside desktop computers

What kind of connection does SATA provide?

A one-to-one connection between the drive and motherboard with separate power and data cables

Does SATA support daisy-chaining or multiple drives on one cable?

No

What speed does SATA Revision 1.0 support?

1.5 Gbps

What speed does SATA Revision 2.0 support?

3 Gbps

What speed does SATA Revision 3.0 support?

6 Gbps

What speed does SATA Revision 3.2 support?

16 Gbps

How many pins does the SATA power connector have?

15 pins

How many pins does the SATA data connector have?

7 pins

What older power connector do some drives alternatively support?

Molex

How are motherboard SATA ports typically labeled?

By version

How many connections does each SATA drive require?

Two

What does the SATA data cable connect?

The drive to the motherboard

What does the SATA power cable connect?

The drive to the power supply

How many drives can a motherboard with eight SATA ports support?

Eight

Where are SATA ports usually located on a motherboard?

Near the bottom

What might color-coding on SATA ports indicate?

Different versions or channels

What does eSATA stand for?

External SATA

What is eSATA designed for?

Connecting external drives

What cable length does eSATA typically support?

About two meters

Are eSATA connectors compatible with internal SATA connectors?

No

Can eSATA cables plug into SATA ports or vice versa?

No

Where are eSATA ports typically found?

On the back of a computer