There are 40-wire PATA cables and 80-wire PATA cables, but they both have 40 pins on each connector. Why are there 80-wire PATA cables if there are only 40 pins connectors?
A) The 80-wire cables can also be used for SATA drives
B) The 80-wire cables are more durable
C) The 80-wire cables have reduced crosstalk between the signal wires
D) The 80-wire cables can support twice as many drives than a 40-wire cable
E) Twice the wires make all of the data twice as useful!
The answer: C) The 80-wire cables have reduced crosstalk between the signal wires
The extra wires in an 80-wire cable aren’t used to pass traffic, but they can reduce the amount of crosstalk between the signal wires. This becomes especially important as the speed increases.
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Want to know more? Watch “PATA and SATA.”The PATA and SATA standards are the most common hard drive interface types that you’ll find in today’s personal computers. In this video, you’ll learn about the details of these popular hard drive technologies and the basics of cabling and connecting the drives to your computer. |