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Old December 19th 17, 02:43 PM posted to microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_2_]
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Posts: 54
Default New HDD, has corrupted Data - AGAIN

In message , Paul
writes:
wrote:

I have no problem with SATA drives. I dont think they would work for
Win98 though. One thing about them, I dont understand why the data cable


Some BIOS/MOBOs can make them "look like" an [E]IDE drive. I don't know
if that would make W98 be able to use them.

has so few wires compared to the IDE cables, and even more puzzling why
the power connectors have all those pins, when there is still only 5V
12V and a copule grounds needed (4 wires). Why do they have all them
pins? Why didnt they just use the common 4 pin connecters they have used
for years. All that did is make power supplies more complicated and the
need to buy adapters to use older power supplies.


The SATA 7 pin data uses TX+,TX-,RX+,RX-,
and those are differential serial connections.

The data travels serially, a bit at a time, like a modem.


Yes, the clue is in the S (and the P in the alternative name for [E]IDE,
PATA).
[]
So that's how they squeezed down the data cable, by going serial.

[]
The 15 pin power is 5 groups of 3 pins each.
A pin carries 1 ampere of current. Three pins
carry 3 amps. And 3 amps is just enough for the
+12V source, to run the hard drive motor. At
one time, some hard drives would draw 3 amps for
the first ten seconds, until the spindle was up
to speed.

So the contact count for power, was made generous
enough to run existing hard drives.


It seems an odd choice to me, to use small contacts, and then use a lot
of them. Fair enough, I suppose, if you're feeding power through an
existing multiway connector (though many connectors, e. g. DIN 41612,
manage fine with varying pin sizes - I suppose not really on if you're
using ribbon cable, though, as you'd need special ribbon), but in the
case of the SATA connector, it's a separate connector anyway, so why not
just use bigger pins! But it's settled now, so I suppose we're stuck
with it. But I share James's dissatisfaction with it - the power
connector being bigger than the data one, without it being obvious
that's the reason because it has bigger pins, feels odd.
[]
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

A biochemist walks into a student bar and says to the barman: "I'd like a pint
of adenosine triphosphate, please." "Certainly," says the barman, "that'll be
ATP." (Quoted in) The Independent, 2013-7-13