Parallel AT Attachment

Ribbon cables that plug directly into the system’s motherboard. These are also called IDE Cables. They use a standard Molex Power Connector. Sends data with Parallel Communication

• Can have 40 or 80 wires
• 40 connector pins
• 2 devices on one PATA cable at once
• Devices on a PATA cable must be designated with a jumper

Problems

• The ribbon cables of the PARA impede airflow
• Difficult to insert properly
• Can’t hot swap PATA drives. you need to shut down the PC to replace drives
• Limited only to 18”
• The same Parallel Communication problems