Difference between PATA and IDE

[AlphaGamer46]

Hi all.

 

It has been brought to my attention that PATA appears to look different to IDE, but that was just by looking at a picture on Google that wasn't the clearest.

 

I know there is a difference between IDE hard drive and IDE optical drive connectors that can prevent crossovers (or something like that ) but is there a real difference?

 

Thanks, Alpha.

[dragoon20005]

PATA is just another term for IDE

 

it supports speed up to 133MB/s

 

if you are talking about 2.5 inch vs laptop Optical drive and 3.5 inch

 

then yes the pinouts for IDE is different

[SansVarnic]

Parallel ATA (PATA), originally AT Attachment, is an interface standard for the connection of storage devices such as hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, and optical disc drives in computers. The standard is maintained by the X3/INCITS committee.

 

 

 

SATA is the faster serial version of the parallel ATA (PATA) interface. Both SATA and PATA are "integrated drive electronics" (IDE) devices, which means the controller is in the drive, and only a simple circuit is required on the motherboard.

 

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

*edit to add pictures.

[royalcrown]

Okay PATA is the electriclal layout for attaching hard drives, this used to be handled by separate  controller cards that went in a slot and the cable then went from the card to the drive. 

 

IDE is the same thing but part of the controller card electronics was moved to the hard drive (IDE = Integrated Drive Electronics)

 

PATA and IDE use the same electrical layout and signaling as far as I remember, if anyone knows differently chime in. PATA drives and IDE drives arent interchangeable however due to the electronics part, not so much physically.

 

Here is an old controller card:

 

 

Some old Sound cards had different connectors for CD roms too. There was also stand alone cards for those, and stand alone cards for floppy drives, parallel and serial ports. Some cards put a lot of ports onto one card to save space

 

Soundcard with CDROM controllers built in:

 

[Captain_WD]

~snip~

 

Hey there AlphaGamer46

 

IDE or Integrated Drive Electronics is the original name. After that it was renamed to the ATA standard or Advanced Technology Attachment which included additional features such as CD-ROM connectivity and others. When the Serial ATA or as we know it today SATA came out the old standard became PATA or Parallel ATA. ATA can refer both to SATA and PATA so the P was added to make things more clear and avoid confusion. 

Since IDE was renamed to ATA you may say that both PATA and SATA are IDE-types  

 

Feel free to ask if you need more info

 

Captain_WD.

[AlphaGamer46]

Parallel ATA (PATA), originally AT Attachment, is an interface standard for the connection of storage devices such as hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, and optical disc drives in computers. The standard is maintained by the X3/INCITS committee.

Thank you, it makes a lot of sense. It has also helped me get a gauge on the older bus.