3.2.7 Internal Hard Drive Cables

Learn the different types of cables you use to connect a hard drive to a computer system.

Depending on your motherboard and the type of hard drive you're installing, the type of port you'll use will differ.

IDE Ports

IDE ports were the leading way to connect hard drives to systems, but not anymore. They have several types of channels:

• Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA)
• Parallel ATA (PATA)
• Enhanced IDE (EIDE)

Newer motherboards only have one IDE channel, but if your motherboard has two, you can connect four different devices using two cables. You should always connect the IDE's ribbon cable to the IDE1 connector on the motherboard. The red edge on the connecter denotes the first pin. then you count in a russian N until you hit 40

SCSI Ports

Only found in high-end servers, mainframe computers, and RAID storage devices. Manufacturer versions are mutually exclusive, cables and connectors from different manufacturers use different interfaces and are incompatible.

SAS Ports

Port-to-port interface that uses a serial protocol. Typically found in enterprise-level storage systems like RAID, tape drives, or dedicated servers.

SATA Port

• A SATA data cable has 7-pin connectors. It also uses a separate power cable with a 15-pin connector.
• The cable connects to motherboard and one device.
• Cables can be a long as 1 meter.
• SATA3 cables can transfer up to 600 MB/s.
• Two connectors are available: straight or L-shaped.

Internet SCSI (iSCSI)

Used to access enterprise-class storage systems by carrying SCSI commands over TCP/IP networks.

• Fast, flexible; throughput up to 400 Mbps.
• Needs initiator software to manage iSCSI connection.
• Can run over long distances using existing network infrastructure.
• Can be attached to network port, router, or switch.
• Uses hot-pluggable connections.
• Can connect to various types of devices depending on the gigabit interface converter (GBIC) module installed in the host adapter. For example, iSCSI host adapters for copper supports Fast Ethernet up to 400 Mbps. Also has fiber-optic variant that uses a SFP transceiver (Mini-GBIC; LC Connector)

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