Stripping Serial ATA cable from its shielding

1

I'd like to add a second hard disk into my Acer notebook, but the only SATA cables I could get my hands on are too long (40 cm ~= 15"). I only need a cable of about 6 cm (2.5") long - the main problem is that I just can't pack the cable with its pink wrapping into free space in the hard disk bay, so I thought that I could strip the cable naked.

There are 2 pairs of thin wires in rubber insulation, then each pair is wrapped in aluminium foil, and this all is in thick pink rubber insulation. If I could strip away everything, the cable would fit. What I don't know is if the shielding is there for a reason, and SATA with its relatively high transfer rates simply wouldn't perform without it.

Axarydax

Posted 2010-09-23T07:41:42.557

Reputation: 1 127

Answers

2

The shielding is there for a reason - well, two - EMI shielding and for the signal path; the latter is going to be the problem unless the fixing of the drive makes a good ground connection. It may be a 'try it and see' situation, but have a spare intact cable to hand just in case you need it.

You can definitiely get 4" SATA cables on ebay - I've just had a look with 'short sata'.

Linker3000

Posted 2010-09-23T07:41:42.557

Reputation: 25 670

1I concur and I know for a fact that 6cm (2.5") S-ATA cables exist. – BloodPhilia – 2010-09-23T08:14:38.213

ok, so I'll order a short cable and wait. Thanks! – Axarydax – 2010-09-23T08:23:38.320

By sheer coincidence I have just opened a drawer today at work and found a SATA cable thats 6cm between connectors. If you are in the UK I will happily post it to you. linker3000-at-gmail-dot-com – Linker3000 – 2010-09-24T09:51:39.270

Asked: 2010-09-23T07:41:42.557

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Active: 2010-09-23T08:05:00.293