FAQs - Crimp vs Solder: PROS & CONS

frequently asked questions


SATA 1 & SATA 2

SATA is an acronym for Serial-ATA, a computer bus architecture designed to optimize data transfers to and from hard drives. Built to act as the successor to the legacy "ATA" drives (also referred to as IDE).

While first generation SATA drives offered 1.5 GHz operation, with data transfers of up to 150MB/s, a newer standard, SATA II, was developed to offer data transfer speeds of up to 300 MB/s. To simplify differentiating between the two standards, the respective technologies have been named as follows:

Original SATA: SATA/150 - indicating the data transfer speed limit of 150MB/s

Second generation SATA - SATA II (referring to the generation)

SATA/300 (referring to the throughput limit of 300MB/s

Aside from the improved throughput, another distinguishing feature of SATA/SATA II is the method used to connect the drives. Instead of the customary multi-pin IDE cable used with IDE or PATA drives, the SATA connector is a much thinner cable.

IEEE/PARALLEL CABLES

This interface is an HP standard IEEE 1284. The IEEE cable provides a bi-directional connection between your PC and the parallel port on your printer/all-in-one, ensuring reliable, accurate and high speed transfer of data for optimum print performance.

SCSI-I (CENTRONICS) CABLES (SMALL COMPUTER SYSTEM INTERFACE)

SCSI-1, the original SCSI Standard, was approved in 1986. It supports transfer rates of up to 5 Mbps and up to 7 devices on an 8-bit bus (not including the controller card). The most common type of connector for SCSI-1 is the Centronics 50, also called Telco 50 or Amphenol 50 (for external use). Internally, SCSI-1 is always run on Dual-Row Socket (F) connectors on a 50 conductor ribbon cable

SCSI-II (HALF PITCH 50) CABLES (SMALL COMPUTER SYSTEM INTERFACE) - SCSI-2, second generation of SCSI

Approved in 1994, SCSI-2 introduced optional 16 and 32 bit buses called "Wide SCSI". The transfer rate, normally 10 Mbps, can be pushed up to 40 Mbps when combined with Fast and Wide SCSI. SCSI-2 usually uses a Micro-D 50 pin connector with side clips, also known as the Mini-50, Micro-50, and Micro DB50 for external cables. Internally it is run on the same 50-pin ribbon cables as is SCSI-1.

SCSI-III (68 FAST WIDE) CABLES (SMALL COMPUTER SYSTEM INTERFACE) - SCSI-3

Found mainly in high-end systems, SCSI-3 commonly uses a 68-pin ribbon cable for in-cabinet connections, and a 68-pin shielded twisted-pair for external connections. Unlike SCSI-1 and SCSI-2, the internal and external 68-pin connectors can be interconnected. The most common bus width for SCSI-3 is 16-bit with transfer rates of 20 Mbps

SCSI-V (VHDCI CABLES) (VERY HIGH DENSITY CIRCUIT INTERCONNECT) - Very High Density 68 pin male (VHDCI) / High Density 68 pin male external LVD compliant. Fully Backwards Compatible for all LVD applications Scsi - 5 .8mm covers the following SCSI speeds ; Ultra 320 / Ultra 160 / U2W / LVD/SE Ultra 320 VHDCI SCSI Cables

MAC 8 PIN MINI-DIN CABLES

These cables were used for connecting your Older Macintosh Serial Mini-Din 8 port to an External printer (which also had the MINI-Din 8 Port) like the ImageWriter II. This cable is wired to communicate from an Apple/Mac 8 pin Mini-Din serial port to an external Apple/Mac printer.

AT MODEM

This is a serial cable that is used for connecting a IBM/Compatible PC "Com" port (DSub 9 pin Male on the computer) to communicate to a DCE (Data Communications Equipment) example: External Modem. This cable would not have the correct wiring to speak to a printer.

NULL CABLES

A null modem cable is a RS-232 serial cable (Most Common connectors are a Dsub 9 pin or a Dsub 25 pin) where the transmit and receive lines are cross linked. In some cables there are also handshake lines cross linked. In many situations a straight through serial cable is used, together with a null modem adapter. The adapter contains the necessary crosslink's between the signals.

USB CABLES

Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard to interface devices. A major component in the legacy-free PC, USB was designed to allow peripherals to be connected using a single standardized interface socket, to improve plug-and-play capabilities by allowing devices to be connected and disconnected without rebooting the computer (hot swapping). Other convenient features include powering low-consumption devices without the need for an external power supply and allowing some devices to be used without requiring individual device drivers to be installed.

USB is intended to help retire all legacy serial and parallel ports. USB can connect computer peripherals such as mouse devices, keyboards, PDAs, gamepads and joysticks, scanners, digital cameras and printers. For many devices such as scanners and digital cameras, USB has become the standard connection method. USB is also used extensively to connect non-networked printers; USB simplifies connecting several printers to one computer. USB was originally designed for personal computers, but it has become commonplace on other devices such as PDAs and video game consoles.

FIREWIRE

FireWire is Apple's branded name for a high-speed data serial bus they developed. Also known as IEEE-1394, this digital interface technology can move data up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps). A more recent version of this standard, FireWire 800, is capable of speeds up to 800 Mbps. Common uses for FireWire include data transfers with external hard drives, DV camcorders, webcams, and Apple's own iPod digital music player. Up to 63 FireWire devices can be connected and recognized at once. Branded. When dealing with the Firewire connectors there are three common ones: 4 Pin Firewire, 6 Pin Firewire, and the latest connector Firewire 9 pin.

Kvm Cables

There are two common types of KVM (Keyboard, Video, and Mouse) cables on the market, these two are the most common.

PS/2 KVM cables for connecting your monitor, keyboard, and mouse to a KVM switch. The other is the USB KVM cables for connecting your monitor, keyboard, and mouse to a KVM switch box