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What is the full form of ATA/PATA?

Full form of ATA/PATA: Here, we are going to learn about the ATA/PATA, its full history, functioning, advantages, and disadvantages. By Anushree Goswami Last updated : March 26, 2024

ATA/PATA: Advanced Technology Attachment/Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment

ATA is an abbreviation of Advanced Technology Attachment. ATA has existed for a long time with the name PATA. When newer Serial ATA (SATA) was launched, ATA is collaterally renamed to ATA (PATA). ATA is known to be a standard physical interface that used to establish a link with storage devices like hard-drive, optical drive, solid-state drive and CD-ROM to the motherboard. ATA operates from inside because of permission of up to 18 inches cable only by ATA standards. To establish a link with portable storage devices, it is created without using an external controller.

ATA is the extremely prevalent and low-priced interface that makes available for using a reliable speed. It is fundamentally formed of thin wires and cable bus. The ATA attainments are reverse compatible. It means with ATA interfaces that existed for a long time, every fresh version of ATA or recently developed ATA drives can be utilized.

History

In 1986, the first version of ATA was developed by the organization named Western Digital. ATA is also called Integrated Device Electronics (IDE).

Initially, it was called ATA but in 2003, after the origination of SATA (Serial ATA), it turned into PATA. PATA and SATA both the devices are called IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) devices.

Functioning

• The pins adapter links on either side of the cable are 40, utilizes by ATA and the wire designs with distinct aspects are 40 or 80. One end of the connector is attached to the motherboard and the other is attached to the hard drive.
• The utilization of a single bus is done by PATA but with more than one wire.
• To two devices at a time, ATA can make a link through connection, in which one link connection is called a slave and the other link connection is called master.

Advantages

• The main reason for SATA is the increased data transfer speed and that’s why it is preferred over PATA in use.
• The length of the cable linking connection from the hard drive to the computer motherboard is another benefit of SATA over PATA.
• The SATA connection links on a computer motherboard are four to six, permitting for more than one SATA hard drives to be curved up like a hook.

Disadvantages

• SATA hard drives at some unspecified time need an exceptional device driver for the computer to identify and utilize the drive.
• The cable of SATA permits only one SATA hard drive to be made link connection at a time.