How do you connect an E-SATA device?

[Jed Shields]

Hi guys,

just a quickie - how do you connect an e-SATA hard drive? does it plug into the I/O panel on the motherboard? Do you need to fit a dedicated card? Does it have to plug directly into a SATA plug on the motherboard?

Cheers,

Jed.

 

[ByteJuggler]

You connect an e-Sata drive to an e-Sata port on your PC. That may be via a cable+PCI bracket with e-Sata port on it, that connects to an internal Sata port, or via an add-in card that provides e-Sata ports. You also get Internal Sata to E-Sata cables, which allows you to connect an external E-Sata device to an internal style sata port directly.

Edit: Yes, forgot to mention some boards have them on he IO backplate on the motherboard, thanks rpstewart

 

[rpstewart]

Depends on the impementation. A lot of current boards will have one or two eSata ports on the I/O plate. Alternatively they may come with an expansion slot bracket which routes one of the internal ports to the outside world, most eSATA caddies also ship with one of these. Finally there is always the option of a full on PCI card with another SATA controller on it and eSATA ports on the backplate.

EDIT: Beaten to it.....

 

[Jed Shields]

Thanks guys ...