The difference between SATA and eSATA

esataexternal hard drivesata

Is the following correct?

eSATA is the same as SATA, except that the cable plug has a slightly different shape, but as far as the electrical signal goes, it's the exact same thing. In theory, if you had a powered-on HDD enclosure with an eSATA port and a cable with an eSATA plug on one end and a SATA plug on the other end, you could connect this device directly to a SATA socket on the motherboard of a powered-on PC and it would work.

(Note: This is theoretical; I don't propose mucking about inside a powered-on PC.)

Best Answer

Yes, from what I can tell, that is correct:

External SATA [eSATA] brings the SATA Hard Drive bus outside the PC chassis and allows external devices to be mounted to a SATA connection. The data cable runs out to a maximum of 6 feet. A shielded cable length of 3 feet or 6 feet is common for eSATA. The eSATA cable is shielded, but otherwise the same cable as used with SATA inside the PC.

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