Comparing the Differences and Similarities Between SATA and Micro SATA Connection Standards

Introduction to SATA

SATA, which also stands for Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, is a computer bus interface that is primarily used to connect storage drives to compatible devices such as computers, motherboards, and relevant devices that support mass storage drives. SATA was first introduced as a new standard for connecting mechanical hard disk drives, slowly leading up to optical disk drives and first-generation solid-state drives via SATA power cable. SATA is slowly being replaced by newer standards such as PCI Express and NVMe, but the widespread usage of SATA and Micro SATA still eclipses all the new standards currently available.


 SATA Variants

While SATA is a singular standard, the type of connector and SATA power cables used to connect different peripherals to their compatible systems greatly varies according to the type of device being used. While regular SATA is used in full-sized hard disks, optical disk drives and solid-state drives, micro SATA, is mostly used for smaller devices that cannot handle the full-sized SATA connector.

While external differences exist between SATA and micro SATA, they still are governed by the design specifications of SATA IO, which is the international governing body that regulates and standardizes SATA connection interface worldwide. Both SATA and micro SATA follow the same set of SATA IO specifications, hence they both are familiar to each other in terms of usage, data transfer, and functionality. Some differences exist, which are detailed below.

Difference 1: Size of Connector

The very first noticeable difference between SATA and micro SATA connector is the size of the connector pin and cable pin connectors. The number of pins is less in micro SATA as it is designed to be more compact than SATA connectors. This makes it great for compact devices such as notebook computers, printers, handheld computers and other small gadgets that use micro SATA connections. SATA is quite large and is preferable for big electronics such as desktop computers, work stations, studio equipment, tower computers, and servers. SATA is designed for hard drives and disk drives that are in 2.5-inch casing, which is the standard size for most storage devices and similar peripherals. Micro SATA is suitable for 1.8-inch casings, hence good for compact devices that don’t have much space to spare.

Difference 2: Speed of Data Transfer

Because both SATA and micro SATA follow SATA III guidelines, modern connectors can support speeds up to 6 GB per second, but this comes at a cost, especially for micro SATA pins. Micro SATA cables can connect only to micro SATA pins; hence the storage device needs to have a micro SATA connector irrespective of the size for the computer or device to make full use of the speed. However, high capacity drives almost always come with only SATA connectors, with micro SATA connectors being limited to a set of few low capacity drives. The more the capacity a drive has, the faster its speed will be, especially in case of solid-state drives that work in a different way as compared to mechanical drives. Hence, mSATA will almost always provide a lower speed of real-life operation as compared to SATA drives due to their support for only low capacity drives. This issue can be resolved by using a SATA adapter cable or adapter connector that can convert SATA to micro SATA and vice versa, connecting two devices with different SATA connectors.

Conclusion

Micro SATA was designed specifically to be used in compact computers and electronics, hence it is not wise to expect them to be in the realm of full-sized SATA connectors, even though they both have the same connection standards. Adapters do help cut the gap though, depending on the device usage and demands.

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