Input/Output Interfaces

5.2.2 eSATA interface

The SFF and CMT form factors provide a SATA/eSATA port (connector P64 on the system board) that can support an external SATA (eSATA) storage device. The eSATA interface provides higher bandwidth than USB 2.0 and Firewire (1394) interfaces.

An optional bracket/cable assembly (Figure 5-2) is required to attach an eSATA device to the SFF or CMT system.

Figure 5-2. Optional eSATA Bracket/Cable Assembly.

The following operating parameters of the eSATA interface can be set in the ROM-based Setup utility:

■Transfer speed: 1.5 or 3 Gbps (default set to 1.5 Gbps for reliability)

■Emulation mode: IDE, AHCI, or RAID (default set to AHCI)

■Port availability: Available or Hidden (default set to Available)

In the IDE or AHCI modes, the system BIOS ROM controls the hard drives and Removeable Media Boot setting applies. In the RAID mode, the RAID option ROM controls the hard drives and the Removeable Media Boot setting does not apply.

For hot-plug functionality, the eSATA port must be set to the AHCI or RAID mode and an AHCI driver with hot-plug support must be loaded onto the system. This driver is pre-loaded on systems shipped with a Windows XP or Vista image. If the system is wiped clean or the Windows OS is re-installed, the AHCI driver can be loaded by installing the OS while the eSATA emulation mode is set to AHCI.

 

Technical Reference Guide

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