Hard Drive Interface Chart
It can be very confusing to figure out what kind of hard drive
connections are available on your computer or on the storage you're
looking to buy. This chart ought to help to show what all those
various connectors really are and what you might need.
| Interface
Type |
Maximum
Data Rate (MB/sec)# |
Number
of Connector Pins (Number of Conductor Pins where different) |
Maximum
Number of Devices (per channel) |
Maximum
Cable Length (meters) |
Other
Names |
Typical
External Connector |
Compatible
Host Controller(s) |
| EIDE
PIO Mode 0 |
3.3 |
40 |
2 |
0
|
IDE |
N/A |
|
| EIDE
PIO Mode 1 |
5.2 |
40 |
2 |
0 |
IDE |
N/A |
|
| EIDE
PIO Mode 2 |
8.3 |
40 |
2 |
0 |
IDE |
N/A |
|
| EIDE
PIO Mode 3 |
11.1 |
40 |
2 |
0 |
IDE,
Fast ATA |
N/A |
|
| EIDE
PIO Mode 4 |
16.7 |
40 |
2 |
0 |
IDE,
Fast ATA, ATA-2, ATA-3 |
N/A |
|
| Ultra-ATA/33 |
33 |
40 |
2 |
0 |
IDE,
ATA-4, Ultra ATA, Ultra DMA/33 |
N/A |
Promise Ultra33 |
| Ultra-ATA/66 |
66 |
40
(80) |
2 |
0 |
IDE,
ATA-5, Ultra DMA/66 |
N/A |
Promise Ultra66 |
| Ultra-ATA/100 |
100 |
40
(80) |
2 |
0 |
IDE,
ATA-6, ATA-7, Ultra DMA/100 |
N/A |
Promise Ultra100 |
| Ultra-ATA/133 |
133 |
40
(80) |
2 |
0 |
IDE,
Fast Drives |
N/A |
Promise Ultra133
TX2 |
| Ultra
SATA/1500 |
187 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
Serial
ATA, SATA-1 |
N/A |
Adaptec
Serial ATA RAID 1210SA |
| SCSI |
5 |
50 |
8 |
6 |
SCSI-1 |
(25-pin)
(Centronics 50-pin Male)
(Centronics 50-pin Female) |
|
| Fast
SCSI |
10 |
50 |
8 |
3 |
SCSI-2,
Fast Narrow |
(HD50/Micro 50) |
|
| Fast
Wide SCSI |
20 |
68 |
16 |
3 |
SCSI-2
Wide, Wide SCSI |
(HD68) |
|
| Ultra
SCSI |
20 |
50 |
8 |
1.5 |
SCSI-3 |
(HD50/Micro 50) |
Adaptec 2940U |
| Ultra
Wide SCSI |
40 |
68
/ 80 |
16 |
1.5 |
|
(Ultra-Wide 68) |
Adaptec 2940UW,
ATTO ExpressPCI PSC |
| Ultra2
SCSI (LVD) |
40 |
50 |
8 |
12 |
SPI-2 |
(Ultra-Wide 68) |
|
| Ultra
2 Wide SCSI (LVD) |
80 |
68
/ 80 |
16 |
12 |
|
(Ultra-Wide 68) |
Adaptec 2940U2W,
ATTO ExpressPCI UL2S |
| Ultra
160/m SCSI (LVD) |
160 |
68
/ 80 |
16 |
12 |
SPI-3,
Ultra3 SCSI, Ultra160 SCSI* |
(Ultra-Wide 68)
(VHD68CI) |
Adaptec
29160, ATTO ExpressPCI
UL3S |
| Ultra
320/m SCSI (LVD) |
320 |
68
/ 80 |
16 |
12 |
SPI-4,
Ultra320 SCSI |
(Ultra-Wide 68)
(VHD68CI) |
|
| USB
1.1 |
1.5 |
4 |
127 |
|
Universal
Serial Bus |
 |
|
| USB
2.0 |
60 |
4 |
127 |
|
Universal
Serial Bus |
 |
Adaptec USB2connect
3100LP |
| IEEE
1394-1995 |
50 |
4
/ 6 |
63 |
72 |
FireWire,
i.Link |
(4-pin)
(6-pin)
|
Adaptec FireConnect
4300 |
| IEEE
1394a |
100 |
4
/ 6 |
63 |
72 |
FireWire,
i.Link |
(see above) |
|
| IEEE
1394b |
400 |
4
/ 6 |
63 |
72 |
FireWire,
i.Link |
(see above) |
|
| FC-AL |
500 |
9 |
126 |
30^ |
Fibre
Channel-Arbitrated Loop |
(DB9) |
ATTO ExpressPCI FC |
|
