Re: eSATA

["Tom Metro-12" <user=71@nabble.blu.org>]

 Matthew Gillen wrote: 
> ...it's not clear to me whether you can multiplex a single eSATA jack on 
> the back of the computer into multiple external drives, a la USB. 

You can use a port multiplier: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_multiplier

to attach up to 15 drives to an eSATA port. That article explains that 
all the drives share the same 3 Gbps bandwidth, so practically you're 
limited to about 3 drives. That page doesn't have a picture of a port 
multiplier, and I don't think I've ever seen one. (It sounds more like 
it is a capability built-in to the controller card, than a separate device.) 

I have ran across SAS to SATA cables, like this one: 
http://www.pimfg.com/product_detail.asp?part=SAS32-SATA74-30

that lets you attach 4 SATA drives to a SAS connector. 


> Depending on what you want your PCI slots for, you 
> could use one (the only one?) for an eSATA card like this 
> http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3646095&CatId=1455  

A bit more economical card might be: 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816132013

which gets you 2 eSATA and 4 SATA ports for $25. 

If you have available SATA ports, eSATA is almost electrically the same, 
so you can also use a $5 adapter like: 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812226003

  -Tom 

-- 
Tom Metro 
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA 
"Enterprise solutions through open source." 
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/

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