Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 7.11. SATA Optional Power Connector Pinout
Mini-SATA (mSATA)
Mini-SATA (mSATA) is a form factor specification developed by Intel for very small solid-state
drives (SSDs), primarily in laptop or tablet systems. The mSATA form factor is virtually identical to
Mini-PCI Express, which is the form factor used for mobile WLAN (wireless local area network or
WiFi) and WWAN (wireless wide-area network) adapters. By using the same card size and shape but
with a slightly modified connector design, a Mini-PCIe socket can function in both Mini-PCIe and
mSATA modes.
mSATA drives are significantly smaller than the standard 2.5-inch drives used in most laptops (see
Figure 7.12
).
