However, eSATA seems to be the easiest problem to solve, as it doesn't involve the underlying complexity of the technology, and only requires refinement of the interface, and the final form of the application obviously requires that the hard drive be configured in some sort of cartridge, although the SATA hard drive itself is supported for hot-plugging. The industry's description of the eSATA interface is that it is based on standard SATA cables and interfaces, with metal shrapnel added to the connection to ensure a solid physical connection, and the eSATA cables can be plugged in and out up to 2,000 times, which creates a great deal of room for eSATA to shine.
In fact, eSATA is not a new technology - eSATA is actually the external SATA II specification, an extension of the industry-standard Serial ATA (SATA) interface. Note that eSATA is simply an extension of the SATA interface, and is used to connect external rather than internal SATA devices. Simply put, with eSATA technology, an external I/O interface can be used for SATA2 functionality. For example, with an eSATA interface, you can easily plug a SATA2 hard drive into an eSATA port without having to open up the case to replace the SATA2 drive.
The SATA interface is designed to be used only inside the system chassis. eSATA makes it possible to connect a SATA hard drive to an external part of the computer, rather than just to the inside of the computer as in the past. Of course, you can also use USB or FireWire to achieve this function, but eSATA has a huge advantage in terms of transfer speed: In the current market, USB2.0 can transfer data at speeds of up to 480Mb/s, and IEEE1394 can transfer data at speeds of up to 400-800Mb/s. However, eSATA can provide up to 3000Mb/s data transfer speed, which is much faster than USB2.0 and IEEE1394, and can be used in a variety of other applications.
* Advertised performance is based on maximum theoretical interface values from respective Chipset vendors or organization who defined the interface specification.
External Interface Mbps MBps
USB1.1 12 1.5
USB 2.0 480 60
1394 (Firewire) 400 50
1394b 800 100
eSATA 1.5Gbps 1200 150
eSATA 3Gbps (3Gbps) is a new generation of SATA Revision 3.0 (SATA Revision 2.0), which is a new generation of SATA Revision 3.0 (SATA Revision 2.0).
Onboard Power and Reset buttons are accompanied by a LED Debug Display that puts users in the driving seat when experimenting with different hardware configurations and speeds.
Therefore, with fast transfer speeds and convenient mobility, eSATA will replace USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 as the external expansion interface trend in the near future. However, eSATA is not as simple as just moving a SATA port to the back of a PC case. The SATA cables and connectors used inside the case are not suitable for direct external use. To ensure that SATA can be safely moved outside the chassis and be audited by SATA-IO International, the industry needs to address the following issues:
- Preventing electrostatic discharge when connecting connectors
- Complying with FCC and CE EMI specifications
- Developing robust cable and connector assemblies that support the frequent plugging and unplugging requirements of external storage (typical desktop SATA only needs to be plugged and unplugged for the first time). Typical desktop SATA requires only one installation
- External connectors need to be shielded
ESATA SATA Desktop Hard Drives eSATA Advantages
Connection Configuration Straight Blade Plug-In L-Type Avoids Unshielded Connector Connections
Connection Depth 6.6mm 5mm Avoids Damage Caused by Static Dissipation
Cable with additional shielding Partial shielding provides EMI protection and complies with FCC and CE radiation regulations
Connector detent spring Two cable types: basic connector ClickConnect eSATA's detent spring and ClickConnect's internal connection provide a safer connection
Insertion and removal durability 5000 insertions and 50 removals.
To address these issues, the next generation of the eSATA specification was developed by participating SATA-IO members, and those who have developed solutions based on the specification can use the eSATA logo to identify them. Initially, external SATA solutions may not be able to comply with the eSATA specification, and only products certified with the eSATA logo represent the latest Serial ATA specification.
eSATA is an external SATA interface but with a more robust cable and connector. eSATA can achieve SATA-like transfer speeds of up to SATA 1.5Gb/s or SATA 3Gb/s. eSATA 3Gb/s speeds are also backward compatible with 1.5Gb/s, the same as today's desktop hard drives. The interface rates of USB and 1394 become the bottleneck for external hard drives as the sustained data transfer rate inside the drive is already as high as 75MB/sec. At the same time, the eSATA peripheral can also be used as a boot disk to boot up after a system crash inside the host computer, directly restoring the system and further increasing the value-added of its backup function.
In contrast, today's PCs are less likely to boot from an IEEE 1394 or USB hard drive. eSATA's interface has the added benefit of facilitating RAID performance, with the help of a Port Multiplier (PM), which, even with an interface bandwidth of only 1.5 Gbps, is sufficient to allow two hard drives to function at full capacity (e.g., a hard disk drive with an external hard disk drive), and a hard disk drive with an external hard disk drive. With the help of a Port Multiplier (PM), even if the interface bandwidth is only 1.5Gbps, it is still enough for 2 disks (e.g., RAID 0), and with 3.0Gbps, it is possible to drive up to 4 disks without becoming a bottleneck.
To use eSATA, your PC must have two conditions, one is that your motherboard must have a SATA2 interface, and the other is to have an external eSATA port, such as the current ASRock 775XFire-eSATA motherboards have integrated eSATA ports, or you can buy the external eSATA ports from HighPoint.
Note: When using the eSATA function, the external hard disk needs to make some changes, that is, jumper cables. Currently, the official websites of hard disk manufacturers provide specific jumper guidelines that you can go through