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.