Components: HDD connectors and ribbons

What type of hard disk uses cables with seven conductors?
1. Parallel ATA (PATA)
2. Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
3. Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE)
4. >>Serial ATA (SATA)

Explanation : SATA disks use cables with seven conductors. The SATA interface was developed as a replacement for the PATA interface. The SATA interface uses fewer conductors than other PC hard disk interfaces and provides higher data rates.

PATA hard disks are currently the type most commonly used in desktop PCs. The drives have a 40-pin connector and current drives use an 80-conductor cable. The additional 40 conductors are ground lines designed reduce interference between the lines and provide a more reliable interface.

SCSI hard disks use various interface configurations depending on the SCSI version and whether the drive is configured to support a narrow (8-bit) or wide (16-bit) interface an addressing. However, none of the SCSI interfaces in current use have a seven conductor table.

The IDE interface was designed for use in PC and is the interface on which the newer ATA interface versions are based. IDE hard disks have a 40-pin connector and use 40-conductor cables. The term IDE is sometimes (and incorrectly) used to refer to PATA drives.
Objective: Personal Computer Components

Drive Power Connectors: Molex, Berg, SATA

There are drive pwr connectors and Mobo power connectors in a PC.

Drive power conns are stdized in size, shape, placement and the voltage carried through their wires.

• Peripheral conns, (Molex typically conn HDDs and CD/DVDs to the PS (see left).
  
• Floppy conns (BERG, mini-Molex) conn are smaller
• Serial ATA (the new version of IDE) are the third kind. (See right).
  

These connectors are "keyed" - they can be inserted into drives in only one orientation. This ensures that you connect right power inputs to the correct point on the device.