Need explanation of unknown cable to ground.

[5JPK]

I want to install a second SATA HDD to this computer. When I open the comuter there is a cable that appears to be part of the HDD data cable from SATA 0 to ground on the chassis.

Questions:

1. What does this ground cable ground, SATA plugs, the whole mother board, etc.?
2. Is this a special SATA cable that I need to install the second drive?
3. Will using a regular, standard SATA cable work without issue?

[wb2001]

@erico, @banhien

I do not know what it's about.  Any idea?

Service and Upgrade manual clearly shows it on Pg 15

This appears to be on the power lead, as you said. 

Tracing the leads from the power supply,  inspect all the Sata power connectors.

The DVD power lead on Pg 13 does not have this separate lead.

You say it traces back to where exactly?  Motherboard screw head, or a cabinet screw head?

[banhien]

@wb2001

I stopped to build machines myself from the first month of this century and no more desktop in our house therefore I can't answer the question. But from my research, that is something called HDD grounding cable. For many business class machines, we use this type of cable but for consumer machines we normally don't do that.

The SATA cable itself must have a ground cable already; from the image on page 15, looks like HDD is inserted directly to its bay therefore we may need to connect ground cable.

Regards.

[erico]

The PC uses a normal motherboard. It just appears to be an extra ground.

1. What does this ground cable ground, SATA plugs, the whole mother board, etc.? It is probably connected to the shielding of the SATA data cable. Its purpose is likely to be for reduction of spurious current that occur during data transmission between the drive and the SATA port it is connected to.
2. Is this a special SATA cable that I need to install the second drive? You do not even need to use it.
3. Will using a regular, standard SATA cable work without issue? Yes. A  standard SATA600 cable is what will  be needed.

[5JPK · Accepted solution]

The data cable does appear to have a shielding. The ground cable in question exits the "shielding" at the "shielding's end and appears to extend a couple of inches only into the shielding. The tail then screws to the the box's frame.

I cannot find anywhere else where the grounding ground exits the cable. However, the cable does appear to have a blue bottom where it connects to the motherboard. I can't tell if the blue piece is part of the cable or an attachment to the cable. Neither of the other 2 SATA connection have this blue end. The DVD drive plugs in directly to a motherboard SATA connection without the blue end, but the DVD is very close to the connection.

Thanks for the information. The data cable being shielded hadn't occcurred to me.

[wb2001]

Thank you Eric and BH.

[erico]

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@5JPK wrote:

The data cable does appear to have a shielding. The ground cable in question exits the "shielding" at the "shielding's end and appears to extend a couple of inches only into the shielding. The tail then screws to the the box's frame.

I cannot find anywhere else where the grounding ground exits the cable. However, the cable does appear to have a blue bottom where it connects to the motherboard. I can't tell if the blue piece is part of the cable or an attachment to the cable. Neither of the other 2 SATA connection have this blue end. The DVD drive plugs in directly to a motherboard SATA connection without the blue end, but the DVD is very close to the connection.

Thanks for the information. The data cable being shielded hadn't occcurred to me.

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It is shielding. Shielding is common in radiocommunications and data processing hardware wiring, even the cable used for your cable modem at home has it. The shield is not visible. It is covered by the plastic sheath and extends the full length of the cable.

Why did you mark your post as the accepted solution?