Today there exist several technological advancements that have made human life altogether much easier and hassle-free. Many inventions have been made that have been useful to the technology world as well. However, different technologies are applied to different areas.
For instance, to transfer data from various devices in a computer system, a certain technology called serial ATA is used. This technology is also known as SATA, and it has several versions that are updated with new functions. One of its versions is SATA 2.
SATA vs SATA 2
The main difference between SATA and SATA 2 is their speed. SATA is much slower than SATA 2. The speed of SATA is 150 Mb, and it can reach up to that limit. On the other hand, the speed of SATA 2 is 300 Mb, and it can reach up to that limit.
SATA or Serial ATA was launched in the year 2000. Various storage devices like hard drives and optical drives require a source or an interface so that data is transferred to them from various adapters. SATA is used for this purpose. A communication system in a computer is called bus computing, and SATA is a bus computing interface.
SATA 2 is a revised version of the Serial ATA. It was launched in the year 2004. It was made with several updates that outgrew the shortcomings that Serial ATA had. The transfer rate of the second version of the serial ATA interface is 3.0 gigabit per second. If this transfer rate is converted, then it nearly reaches the speed of 300 Mb per second.
Comparison Table Between SATA and SATA 2
| Parameters Of Comparison | SATA | SATA 2 |
| Type | Main interface | Revised interface |
| Released in | 2000 | 2004 |
| Speed | Slower | Faster |
| Bandwidth | 150 Mb per second | 300 Mb per second |
| Generation | First | Second |
What is SATA?
SATA or Serial ATA is the interface that is used to send data to various storage devices. It has several revised versions that were released with newer updates and features. The technical specification of SATA is overseen by the Internal organization of SATA themselves, which is known as the Serial ATA International Organization and is abbreviated as SATA- IO.
The predecessor of SATA is PATA. The main reason why SATA was launched was to outgrow the shortcomings that PATA has. It was known as ATA before SATA was launched. There are several features included in SATA that we’re not present in PATA. Parallel ATA or PATA did not support hot plugging. SATA supports hot plugging.
There are several advantages of using SATA. The increased data transfer rate is one of the most important advantages that SATA has over PATA. Many documents that are larger can be opened faster in Serial ATA. No heat is built up in the cable used in Serial ATA as it is shorter in length, and thus airflow is maintained properly.
The interface that was used before SATA allowed lesser drives while SATA allowed and supported more drives. Previously, there were two connections that would allow hard drives; however, SATA allows and supports up to six connections on a computer motherboard. Many programs load faster because of SATA. It can also give a user a better gaming experience than the previous Parallel ATA interface.
What is SATA 2?
SATA 2 is the revised version of the Serial ATA interface. It is the second generation of the Serial ATA interface, and it comes with even more options that are upgraded and even better than the interface from the previous generation. It was launched in the year 2004. It is also a product of the Serial ATA International Organization.
The bandwidth of this interface is double the bandwidth of the interface from the previous generation. The SATA interface had a bandwidth of 150 Mb per second, while the Serial ATA 2 interface had a bandwidth of 300 Mb per second. Hence it is preferably good and provides faster data transfer options.
The Serial ATA 2 interface has specifications that provide backward compatibility when they function on the ports of Serial ATA. The maximum speed of the storage device where the data is supposed to be transferred is directly proportional to the maximum speed provided by the port. Hence, even though the Serial ATA interface works with the Serial ATA 2 interface, it will work according to the bandwidth of the Serial ATA and transfer data with that speed.
The speed provided by Serial ATA 2 is faster than the speed provided by Serial ATA. The specifications of SATA 2 are designed in a strict manner by the SATA-IO, but it still provides better features than the previous interfaces. The SSDs of the interface from the second generation also provide better features, and they have lesser mechanical failure issues. They come with a wide range of applications in industries like commercial industries and software industries.
Main Differences Between SATA and SATA 2
- The SATA devices can not operate at the speed of SATA 2 devices. On the other hand, the SATA 2 devices can operate at the speed of SATA devices.
- The number of ports supported by both interfaces is different. Serial ATA interface can support only one device per port. On the other hand, SATA 2 interface can support up to 15 devices with the help of a port multiplier.
- The bandwidth provided by SATA is 150 Mb per second. On the other hand, the bandwidth provided by SATA 2 is 300 Mb per second.
- The Serial ATA interface is the first generation of the series. On the other hand, the SATA 2 interface is the second generation of the series.
- Serial ATA interface was introduced in the year 2000. On the other hand, the SATA 2 interface was introduced in the year 2004.
Conclusion
Both interfaces, SATS and SATA 2, were introduced during different times, and when they were released, they provided a great source for transferring data to different storage devices. Various other revised versions of this series were introduced that outgrew the shortcomings of the previous version.
There are several other sources that one can opt for when it comes to transferring data to several storage devices. However, the most convenient option is the one with a lesser degree of complication and the one which provides great speed for data transfer.
References
- https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10697/1069739/Research-and-implementation-of-SATA-protocol-link-layer-based-on/10.1117/12.2315078.short
- https://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-DYFZ200906012.htm