What Is a PATA IDE Drive?

PATA hard drives, also known as parallel ATA and IDE, were used extensively in computers from 1986 until 2003, when the technology was antiquated by the serial ATA specification. Parallel ATA hard drives were first used by the Compaq Computer Corp. in 1986. Parallel ATA hard drives have proven dependable over the course of their product life and as such are still found in use within computer systems as of 2009.

History

The original parallel ATA specification was developed through a joint venture between the Western Digital Corp., the Control Data Corporation, and Compaq computers. Western Digital is credited with the actual release of the parallel ATA specification in 1986, the same year Compaq computers began its widespread implementation into its OEM systems.

Function

The parallel ATA specification defines a data cable, data connector and hard drive controller architecture. Unlike previous hard drives, a parallel ATA drive contains its own independent drive controller that is physically attached to the disk itself. This is in contrast to prior hard drives that used hard drive controllers that were built into the motherboard. The parallel ATA drive itself acts as a permanent system storage area that contains the operating system, user applications and user files.

Parallel ATA Interface

The final revision of the parallel ATA interface calls for an 80-pin ribbon cable that supports up to two devices and constitutes a single data channel to the motherboard. This cable connects, on either end, to a keyed male connector on the hard drive and motherboard. The parallel ATA interface was capable of data transfers up to 133 MB per second between two devices.

Types

The parallel ATA specification has gone through six revisions. The current parallel ATA specification is known as ATA-6. Though this specification was originally intended only for hard drives, it has been adapted to support other devices such as floppy drives and CD/DVD burners. Though the parallel ATA drive specification became widespread in many applications, it failed to enter the external drive market due to the short maximum cable length, 18 inches, allowable by the interface.

Considerations

Though the parallel ATA specification can still be found in computers, due to its high reliability and well-established compatibility, it has been superseded by the serial ATA specification known as ATA-7 or SATA. This new specification boasts transfer speeds of 6 Gbits per second, hot-swap ability and smaller cord-like cables that increase airflow within computers. This new specification was released in 2003, effectively ending parallel ATA's 17-year usage.

References

• Western Digital Drive Compatibility Guide