PATA generally refers to the types of cables and connections that follow this standard.
It’s important to note that the termParallel ATAused to simply be calledATA.
ATA was retroactively renamed to Parallel ATA when the newerSerial ATA (SATA)standard came into being.
Archimerged / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
It’s not a correct usage, but it’s very popular nonetheless.
PATA cables come in 40-wire or 80-wire designs.
Newer PATA storage devices require the use of the more capable 80-wire cable to meet certain speed requirements.
Both types have 40-pins and look nearly identical, so telling them apart can be difficult.
ATA-6 devices support up to 100 MB/s speeds and might be called PATA/100 drives.
The maximum allowable length of a PATA cable is 18 inches (457 mm).
Molex is the power connector for PATA hard drives.
This connection is what extends out from the power supply for the PATA unit to draw power.
PATA cables are big compared to SATA cables.
PATA cables are also more expensive than SATA cables because it costs more to manufacture one.
This is true even though SATA cables are newer.
One is referred to asdevice 0(primary) and the otherdevice 1(secondary).
SATA hard drives just have two connection points one for the rig and the other for the motherboard.
PATA devices are supported by really oldoperating systemslike Windows 98 and 95, while SATA devices are not.
Also, some SATA devices require a certaindevice driverin order to fully function.
It’s for this reason that external PATA devices use a different technology like USB to bridge the distance.
