Re: [OT] (A little) : Firewire cables...

[Jim Noble <yahoo-groups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Phil Harris wrote:
>> The SATA spec allows for 1-to-15 port multipliers. Don't know if
any
>> 1-to->5 examples exist though :-)
>>
> Would that be "1 to 15"?
>

:-?

>> Can't see why you wouldn't be able to combine with using
Multi-lane
>> adapters - they just combine the 4 sets of signals physically. ie
the
>> SATA link isn't aware it's going via a multi-lane cable, surely?
>>
> Well as much as anything else there's just the practicalities of
chaining
> them together in a way that's physically secure enough so that if
someone
> sneezes in the room then they don't fall apart.
>

If I've understood correctly the multilane SATA connectors
"lock", which
should help.

> No - 1 PCI slot for the 4 SATA channel controller, 1 PCI slot for the
4 x
> SATA to External multilane adapter and another 1 or two slots for the
cables
> to sprout sideways out of the adapter as you won't be able to use
right
> angle SATA cables on that adapter.
>

Ah, I see what you mean. Choose a chassis with more PCI slots that you
motherboard has sockets for so that there's space available?
There may also be other 4xSATA to multilane adapters available...

>> I should image you would have quite a choice. There are probably
PCIe
>> version of the above card somewhere too. (NB: "Supports
Serial ATA II
>> Port Multiplier Specifications")
>>
> I don't think it can do both at the same time and handle 20 drives...
>

Maybe, maybe not. Would be an expensive experiment, that's for sure :-)

>> These look quite smart btw:
>>
>> http://www.enhance-tech.com/documents/EnhanceBOX_E8.pdf
>> http://www.enhance-tech.com/documents/enhanceRACK_R8_ML.pdf
>>
> Yep but you can bet they won't be cheap. ;-)
> I'm just looking at alternatives at the moment ...
> ... another possibility (and quite a reasonable costing one) would be
three
> PCI Belkin 5 port USB 2.0 cards and a dozen of these:
> http://www.span.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1308&products_id=8114
>

If you're going to have a PC based host anyway, why not just mount the
drives internally?

Jim