pjp wrote:
I have a couple pcs here have a dedicated Esata port on motherboard. I
also have a number of Sata hard disks just sitting unsued on a shelf.

I'm wondering if it's ok to run a standard usb cable from the Esata
connector out the back of a pc and connect it to a regular Sata drive.
I'd of course give it it's own power supply using a "special" cable I
already have.


ESATA is the ******* child of standards.

People have been screwing around with it to such
a point, I couldn't tell you what additional interfaces
they've added to the connector.

You see, they *do* put USB pins on at least one flavor.
Just for the confusion it will cause.

https://sites.google.com/site/displa...esata_pins.jpg

"EUHP pinout"

USB ESATA EARS-for-power

P1 +5V P5 GND P12 VBUS (may be +12V or +5V!)
P2 D- P6 TX+ P13 GND
P3 D+ P7 TX-
P4 GND P8 GND
P9 RX+
P10 RX-
P11 GND

original
pins as
subset

There might be *at least* four or five connector
types for these. Plus, you'll need your voltmeter
to check what is on P12 and whether it's the
right thing for your adapter. (I wouldn't use it
without checking first what is on P12.)

Look in the barrel with a strong light, to
start your journey of discovery.

While the Wikipedia article on ESATA is better than
nothing, I don't think it has seriously addressed
all the variants. I kept seeing little blurbs where
small companies seemed to be messing around, and the
SATAIO page made no mention of the options at all.

P5-P11 Original pinout
P5-P11 + P12-P13 Ears +5V for 2.5 drives
P5-P11 + P12-P13 Ears +12V for 3.5 drives
P5-P11 + P12-P13 Ears + USB2 etc
P5-P11 + P12-P13 Ears + USB2 etc

You won't catch me using one of those ports!
Not interested.

If you use a seven pin ESATA to SATA cable (if you
can find one), then that solves the "what if P12
shorts to something" problem.

Paul