[asterisk-users] Digium Card: Power Connector, from SATA to NORMAL

[Matt Watson]

On May 17, 2008 06:59:43 am Gordon Henderson wrote:
> On Sat, 17 May 2008, bilal ghayyad wrote:
> > Well, why Digium is still using this kind of power
> > connector while all new machines does not come with
> > these types?
>
> The new machines that I buy come with "legacy" power connectors. The flash
> IDE drives I buy need legacy power connectors, and since convertors are
> trivially avalable why is it an issue?


molex power connectors are not "legacy" or "old style" except when used in 
reference to SATA devices.  Seeing as how Digium interface cards are not SATA 
devices, why would you expect them to be using a SATA connector?  Its not 
Digiums fault that the PSU you bought doesn't include molex connectors.

SATA uses a different power connector for a few reasons, but the biggest is 
that SATA supports hot-plugging (assuming your controller, drive, and OS 
support it), in order for hot-plug to work the drive needs a 3.3V voltage as 
well as  5V and 12V, molex only gives 5V and 12V.  The actual physical 
connector that molex uses also does not lend itself very well to 
hot-plugging.

SATA power connectors, while there is no real reason that non-SATA devices 
couldn't use them, they simply were designed for SATA specifically.  

Personally, I prefer molex connectors for most things simply because they are 
far more secure than SATA connectors (at least the ones i've used).


-- 
Matt
http://www.mattgwatson.ca