FireFold blog

SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) cables are used when connecting hard drives, solid state drives, and optical drives into computers.  It is based on the serial technology, but is more flexible, thinner, and less massive than a PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment).

SATA has three different types of cables among itself.  SATA-1, also known as first generation, provides a transfer rate of 1.5 gigabits per a second.  SATA-2, also known as second generation, provides a transfer rate of 3.0 gigabits per a second and supports a new feature of NCQ (Native Command Queuing).  SATA-3, also known as third generation, provides a transfer rate of 6.0 gigabits per a second and doubles the flash read speed.

SATA also has an external cable called eSATA, which is designed for external connectivity.  This cable gives you the ability to insert and remove SATA wires easier with the protection against EMI and ESD damage.  eSATA provides the same transfer rates as internal SATA.  According to the Serial ATA International Organization, “eSATA is growing in popularity in the notebook personal computer segment, delivering SATA speed and performance for external storage in mainstream notebook architectures.”

Majority of SATA wires are compatible towards PATA drives.  Here at FireFold, we have SATA cables to help you get connected.

Patch panels have the purpose of managing cable connections that involve patch cables mixing with permanent cables.

In the front of a patch panel, there are jacks in place for patch cables that correspond to the longer permanent cables that are arranged in the back. Patch panels allow circuits to be monitored and tested in the convenience towards the technicians, where they are able to quickly remove the patch panel on the rack and change the circuit signals.

A patch panel connects computers to each other and the Internet in a LAN (Local Area Network) and can also be used to further connect to a WAN (Wide Area Network).

FireWire is a way to connect and transfer data between digital devices, it is also known as IEEE 1394.  The cable comes in a variety of different pin formats allowing for multiple data transferring speeds.  Both Windows and Mac operating systems both support FireWire use.

4-pin (FireWire 400)

The 4-pin (4-circuit) cable can transfer data at 400Mbps, which is amazing since it is three times smaller than the 6 and 9-pin cables. It does not provide internal power, meaning it needs an external power connection to transfer the data.  It comes in multiple varieties of 4-pin to 4-pin,  4-pin to 6-pin, and 4-pin to 9-pin.

6-pin (FireWire 400)

The 6-pin cable can also transfer data at 400Mbps, but it is normally used to hook up to a desktop computer since almost all desktop computers that have FireWire hook-ups are a 6-pin connections.  Majority of cables have a 4-pin connection on the other side to hook up a DV camera or digital camera.  It comes in multiple varieties of 6-pin to 4-pin, 6-pin to 6-pin, and 6-pin to 9-pin to support all connections.

9-pin (FireWire 800)

The 9-pin cable can transfer data at 800Mbps. Even though the 9-pin cable was created in 2002, majority of computers still use a 6-pin connection. It comes in muliple varieties of 9-pin t0 4-pin, 9-pin to 6-pin, and 9-pin to 9-pin.  We have adapters to help you hook your 4 or 6-pin device up to a 9-pin device.

So what is the difference between USB and FireWire? USB 2.0 is a host-base, meaning devices have to be connected to a computer to communicate.  It allows up to 127 devices on a hub, but can only reach a maximum transferring speed of 480Mbps.  FireWire is a peer-to-peer, meaning two devices using FireWire can communicate together without using a computer.  It only supports 63 devices on a hub, but can have transferring data speeds up to 800Mbps.

Both cables are a sequence of twisted pair high signal integrity cables.  The maximum length of the cables are 100m (328 ft), any length after that will have problems involving loss of data. With both cables having the ablility to host a 100 Mbits(Megabits) or a 1000BASE-T Gigabit ethernet network.

The only difference between Cat5e and Cat6 is in the transmission performance and the extension of bandwidth.  Cat5e provides a bandwidth of 100MHz (megahertz), while Cat6 can provide up to 250MHz.  The improvements provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio giving a higher reliability to current applications and higher data rate for future ones.

Both forms of cables come in standard, solid, shielded, or plenum.  Standard cables are very flexible and generally used to create patch cables.  Solid cables are not as flexible due to the thicker jacket of the cable since it is designed for wall installations.  Shielded cables are used more for a specific location with a high position and a high interference or crosstalk.  You can read about plenum cables in an earlier blog.

Another concern when picking out cable is deciding between FTP, STP, and UTP.  FTP (Foiled Twisted Pair) and STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) are just alike in the function of wiring, the only differences is in the protection covering the wires from electromagnetic fields.  FTP has a two part protection of foil and PE (polyethylene) tape protecting the wires.  STP adds another layer of PE tape on top of the foil for extra protection. You can view these differences by clicking on image.  But most cables come as UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair), which only has a jacket protecting the wires inside.  UTP is common in cables, because it is less expensive and easier to work with.