PATA
Technology & Computing abbreviation · Computer Hardware
| Stands for | Parallel ATA |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
PATA stands for Parallel ATA, a computer hardware abbreviation.
Older drive interface that connected hard drives and optical drives with wide 40-pin ribbon cables carrying two devices each, set as master and slave with jumpers. It topped out at 133 MB/s.
Example: The vintage PC still uses a PATA hard drive, so I bought an IDE-to-USB adapter to copy its files.
Usage notes
The name is a retronym coined after Serial ATA arrived in 2003; previously it was simply ATA, or IDE. Faster transfer modes required an 80-conductor cable with the same 40-pin connectors. Cable select and the master/slave jumper settings were a frequent source of boot problems. Motherboards dropped PATA connectors around 2010.
Related abbreviations
More computer hardware abbreviations
- NVMe – Non-Volatile Memory Express
- NVRAM – Non-volatile random-access memory
- OC – Overclocking
- ODD – Optical disc drive
- ODM – Original design manufacturer
- OTG – USB On-The-Go
- PCI – Peripheral Component Interconnect
- PCIe – Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
- PD – USB Power Delivery
- PDU – Power distribution unit
- PGA – Pin grid array
- PPM – Pages per minute