[nylug-talk] [OT] SATA connector

[Chris Knadle]

On Wednesday 23 January 2008, Henning Follmann wrote:
> Hello,
> I have a a question not really related to linux.
>
> Here the story:
> I have a friend who has a computer and two SATA drives, one containing
> Windoze and one with linux.
> So his dualboot solution is to exchange the drives.

   There are some security environments where that's the right solution.

> While I do not think that is bad, I told him that the limitation might
> be the connect cycles of the SATA connector.
> Does anyone know how often you can unplug and reconnect a SATA
> connector? Is there any specification how many cycles are estimated for
> the SATA connector?

   If the drive is in a drive bay that lines up the connectors well there's 
less liklihood of a problem compared to manual connection/disconnection.  The 
spec I saw was EIA-364-09 for testing which required 2500 mate and unmate 
cycles at a maximum rate of 200 cycles per hour.  I haven't found a max 
mate/unmate spec, but some drive bay manufacturers quote "ordinary" SATA 
connectors having a maximum of 10,000 connection cycles.

   Sunny, what you were describing I know of as a "connector saver".  Often 
connector savers can be made without any cable between the connectors.  It 
might be an RF-specific term.

   -- Chris

-- 

Chris Knadle
Chris.Knadle at coredump.us