OK to daisy chain SATA power?

[Fastfishy2]

I know most power supplies include sata power cables that have daisy chained connectors but is it actually wise to have two 2.5" SSDs running on the same cable? I figure it is but I wanted to check.

 

[tabascosauz]

I know most power supplies include sata power cables that have daisy chained connectors but is it actually wise to have two 2.5" SSDs running on the same cable? I figure it is but I wanted to check.

SSD power consumption is low, they're not GPUs. I've been daisy chaining 2 or 3 SATA SSDs since forever on many PSUs and never had an issue. Even if you populate all the connectors it shouldn't even be remotely an issue as long as you have an even half-decent PSU.

 

[wolf]

You will have no issues with two SSD's - imo. They draw so little in typical use and many PSU cables have 3-4 SATA power plugs which can be taken as an indication of how many they believe you can comfortably power.

 

[evernessince]

Most SATA SSDs draw 3-4w full load and <1w idle. No PSU is going to have a daisy chained SATA cable that isn't capable of handling that level of load. Even if you had all large enterprise SSDs taking 13w each, it still would not be a concern.

 

[ir_cow]

I usually daisy chain 3-4 platter drives which consume more power. Using 30 watts isn't a problem for modern PSU.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I know most power supplies include sata power cables that have daisy chained connectors

That's not daisy chaining. Those are just "parallel" power connections. Each connected device is powered independently of the other. Disconnect one drive, the other still works.

Daisy chaining is a method of connecting devices in "series". That is, for example, you connect Device 1 to the computer, then you connect Device 2 into Device 1, then plug Device 3 into Device 2, Device 4 into Device 3 and so on. Disconnect Device 1 from the computer, all the other devices lose their connections too.

In computers, the most common use of daisy chaining is with USB devices. Many keyboards for example, use daisy chaining to provide USB ports on the keyboard. The keyboard plugs into the computer, your USB devices plug into the keyboard. That's daisy chaining.

And because daisy chaining devices are in series, if the connection from the keyboard to the computer breaks, the USB devices connected to the keyboard lose their connection too.

Another good example of daisy chaining is cheap strings of LED Christmas lights where you plug a second string into the end of the first, third into second, etc.

 

[chrcoluk]

I know most power supplies include sata power cables that have daisy chained connectors but is it actually wise to have two 2.5" SSDs running on the same cable? I figure it is but I wanted to check.

I have never seen a PSU that doesnt daisy chain SATA out of the box, it is fine, I have splitters I have used as well as molex to SATA convertors.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I have never seen a PSU that doesnt daisy chain SATA out of the box,

You must have missed my last post. Again, that is not daisy chaining. You are not making a "serial" connection plugging one cable into the end of the other.

PSU cables support "parallel" connections to drives.

Nevertheless, your point is valid in that every PSU I have seen supports multiple drives on a single cable - they are just wired in parallel, not series.

 

[Ruru]

Back in the day I had 4x 7200rpm HDDs in one chain without problems.

 

[Bill_Bright]

As long as the rail and first connector can handle the current, not a problem.

 

[dirtyferret]

That's not daisy chaining. Those are just "parallel" power connections.

Daisy chaining is a method of connecting devices in "series"

this, the OP is using the SATA power cable properly

 

[csendesmark]

I know most power supplies include sata power cables that have daisy chained connectors but is it actually wise to have two 2.5" SSDs running on the same cable? I figure it is but I wanted to check.

Don't worry, 2 SSD-s should be well within safe usage

 

[chrcoluk]

You must have missed my last post. Again, that is not daisy chaining. You are not making a "serial" connection plugging one cable into the end of the other.

PSU cables support "parallel" connections to drives.

Nevertheless, your point is valid in that every PSU I have seen supports multiple drives on a single cable - they are just wired in parallel, not series.

I did miss it and dont dispute your point either, innocent mistake.

 

[Whitestar]

Very late reply here. Just wondering, if the term "daisy chaining" is incorrect for this, then what should we call it?
Parallel chaining? Maybe "parachaining" for short? Or parallel wiring (parawiring)?

 

[Bill_Bright]

Already answered in post #6.

 

[Waldorf]

while its ok to do,
when my ODD was on the same cable as 2 ssds,
the disks "unsafe shutdown" count was going up (crystal disk info; (back when still using sata, and wanted minimal wiring).
going with 2 cables fixed it, unless it was cosmic interference messing with me

 

[Bill_Bright]

Please note the OP was talking about the "power" connections. You cannot "daily chain" (put in series) devices (loads) on a "power" cable. You can daisy chain "data" cables, however AS LONG AS the communication protocols (in this case, SATA protocols) support it.

 

[Waldorf]

i know its about power
i know its not daisy chained (never said such thing).

but i saw trouble when using a single cable for all 3 sata devices (1 ODD, 2 SSD).
and it wasnt the cable itself (new psu btw) and/or psu port, or problem would have stayed, as i only added on more power cable for the 2 ssds.

and i havent seen consumer disks having additional sata out (data), to even be able to do daisy for it.

 

[enzookumura]

That's not daisy chaining. Those are just "parallel" power connections. Each connected device is powered independently of the other. Disconnect one drive, the other still works.

Daisy chaining is a method of connecting devices in "series". That is, for example, you connect Device 1 to the computer, then you connect Device 2 into Device 1, then plug Device 3 into Device 2, Device 4 into Device 3 and so on. Disconnect Device 1 from the computer, all the other devices lose their connections too.

In computers, the most common use of daisy chaining is with USB devices. Many keyboards for example, use daisy chaining to provide USB ports on the keyboard. The keyboard plugs into the computer, your USB devices plug into the keyboard. That's daisy chaining.

And because daisy chaining devices are in series, if the connection from the keyboard to the computer breaks, the USB devices connected to the keyboard lose their connection too.

Another good example of daisy chaining is cheap strings of LED Christmas lights where you plug a second string into the end of the first, third into second, etc.

daisy chain is not in series, It is a parallel connection without electrical splices; the same conductive wire passes through each terminal without any splices. Furthermore, the keyboard does not use a daisy chain to connect other devices, firstly because there is no way to simply use a USB to connect more than one device, For this they use a USB hub circuit to be able to communicate with multiple devices using just one USB. These same devices do not work in series, but in parallel, the gnd and +5V are connected in parallel throughout the entire path.Meanwhile, the communication wires pass through a microcontroller to control signals coming from multiple devices using just a single USB port on the PC.

 

[Bill_Bright]

daisy chain is not in series, It is a parallel connection

Sorry, but that is incorrect. Daisy chain is a series wiring configuration. Parallel connections are just that, parallel connections.

Sadly, the term daisy chain is occasionally misused and misunderstood.

Did you read the article you got that image from? Here is the article. Understanding the Concept of a Daisy Chain in Electrical Wiring. Note it clearly says (my bold underline added),

A daisy chain in electrical wiring refers to the method of connecting multiple electrical devices in a series, where each device is connected to the next in line.

Note that image actually is not a good illustration because it "appears" you can remove the middle device, for example, and the third device on the left will still get power. That is wrong. As it explains in the text,

To create a daisy chain, the first device is connected to the power source, and then subsequent devices are connected one after another. Each device typically has two connectors, one for incoming current and one for outgoing current. The outgoing connector of one device is connected to the incoming connector of the next device, creating a chain-like connection.

Here another reference:

Daisy Chain Demystified: Is It Series or Parallel? - GadgetsRanked

Are you puzzled by the concept of a daisy chain and wondering whether it operates in series or parallel? Unraveling the mystery behind this common electrical

gadgetsranked.com

A daisy chain is a wiring configuration where multiple devices are connected in a series, one after the other.

Here's a third reference for good luck:

What Is Daisy Chaining? | FS Community

Daisy chaining is a method of connecting multiple devices in a sequence, allowing for data or power sharing without the need for a central hub or extensive cabling.

community.fs.com

Daisy chaining enables network switches, storage devices, and servers to be connected in series

 

[Redwoodz]

Now you know why it sucks to work on automotive electronics

 

[Bill_Bright]

Now you know why it sucks to work on automotive electronics

Mysteries such as this are not limited to automotive electronics. I spent first 24 years of my electronics technician career as a certified air traffic control radio communications systems technician. We had a saying for such mysteries - we just called it "FM". But it was not for "frequency modulation" (as in AM/FM radio) but for a certain type of "magic"!

 

[sram]

I salute you Bill_Bright. You remind me of my instructors back when I was studying EE at university. Good old times. In fact, the series and parallel connections were taught in school days if i remember correctly. You connect in series you distribute the voltage and the current stays the same. You connect in parallel you distribute current and voltage stays the same. The potential difference (voltage) has to be the same for each SSD, hence the requirement for a parallel connection and each drive will draw its needed current provided that the total available is enough for all drives.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I try to remember using batteries as that is easier (for me). Batteries in series add voltage. Batteries in parallel add current. This is why when jumping a car battery, you always go in parallel to maintain ~12V.

 

[ty_ger]

I assume you mean that you are going to take one SATA plug and split in into two SATA plugs. If not, explain.
SSDs are low power consumption devices, so it's probably fine. That being said, SATA power plugs are the worst option always. They suck. If you have another option, always choose another option as the originating plug providing the power source.