TPR_C101_V20 
 
Page 1 of 15 
Proposed 
Draft 
 
Serial ATA  
International Organization 
 
Revision 20 
September 9, 2009 
 
 
 
SATA30_TPR_C101_V20 
Title: mSATA Connector  
 
 
This is an internal working document of the Serial ATA International Organization. As such, this is 
not a completed standard and has not been approved. The Serial ATA International Organization 
may modify the contents at any time. This document is made available for review and comment 
only. 
 
Permission is granted to the Promoters, Contributors and Adopters of the Serial ATA International 
Organization to reproduce this document for the purposes of evolving the technical content for 
internal use only without further permission provided this notice is included. All other rights are 
reserved and may be covered by one or more Non Disclosure Agreements including the Serial 
ATA International Organization participant agreements. Any commercial or for-profit replication or 
republication  is  prohibited.  Copyright  ©  2000-2009  Serial  ATA  International  Organization.  All 
rights reserved. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TPR_C101_V20 
 
Page 2 of 15 
IS  PROVIDED 
This  Draft  Specification  is  NOT  the  final  version  of  the  Specification  and  is  subject  to  change 
without notice. A modified, final version of this Specification (“Final Specification”) when approved 
by the Promoters will be made available for download at this Web Site: http://www.serialata.org. 
 
IS”  WITH  NO  WARRANTIES 
THIS  DRAFT  SPECIFICATION 
WHATSOEVER, 
INCLUDING  ANY  WARRANTY  OF  MERCHANTABILITY,  NON-
INFRINGEMENT,  FITNESS  FOR  ANY  PARTICULAR  PURPOSE  OR  ANY  WARRANTY 
OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF ANY PROPOSAL, SPECIFICATION, OR SAMPLE.  Except for 
the right to download for internal review, no license, express or implied, by estopple or otherwise, 
to any intellectual property rights is granted or intended hereunder. 
 
THE  PROMOTERS  DISCLAIM  ALL  LIABILITY,  INCLUDING  LIABILITY  FOR  INFRINGEMENT 
OF  ANY  PROPRIETARY  RIGHTS,  RELATING  TO  USE  OF  INFORMATION  IN  THIS  DRAFT 
SPECIFICATION.    THE  PROMOTERS  DO  NOT  WARRANT  OR  REPRESENT  THAT  SUCH 
USE WILL NOT INFRINGE SUCH RIGHTS. 
 
THIS DOCUMENT IS AN INTERMEDIATE DRAFT FOR COMMENT ONLY AND IS SUBJECT 
TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. 
 
* Other brands and names are the property of their respective owners. 
 
Copyright © 2005-2009 Serial ATA International Organization. All rights reserved. 
 
 
SATA-IO CabCon Chair: 
 
“AS 
Frank Chu 
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies 
3403 Yerba Buena Road 
San Jose, CA 95135 USA 
Tel:     (408) 717-5224  
Email: Frank.Chu@Hitachigst.com  
TPR_C101_V20 
 
Page 3 of 15 
Author Information 
Author Name 
Jeffrey Hobbet 
Edward Chang 
Edmund Poh 
Company 
Lenovo 
Samsung 
Molex 
Email address 
jrhobbet@lenovo.com 
Ed.chang@sisa.samsung.com 
Edmund.Poh@molex.com 
 
Workgroup Chair Information 
Workgroup 
Chairperson Name 
Email address 
Frank Chu 
Frank.Chu@Hitachigst.com 
CabCon 
 
 
Revision History 
Revision 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
 
Date 
10/09/2008 
11/19/2008 
11/20/2008 
7/21/2009 
7/22/2009 
8/4/2009 
8/4/2009 
8/5/2009 
8/12/2009 
9/2/2009 
9/3/2009 
9/4/2009 
9/4/2009 
9/7/2009 
9/8/2009 
9/8/2009 
9/9/2009 
9/9/2009 
Comments 
Initial Proposal to Suppliers 
Swapped  +B  and  –B  signals  to  correspond  better  to  typical  SATA-IO 
PCBA layouts. 
Moved pin 1 SATA assignment to Pin 30 
Moved pin 20 SATA assignment to Pin 32 
Updated references to mSATA 
Update pin assignments to have DA/DSS on pin 49 and PD on pin 51 
Updated pin table to specify “Host” side for Transmitter/Receiver 
Removed references to PCIe 
Renamed to TPR_C101 and added compliance point figure 
Added Vendor Pins pin 45, 30, 32 
Added two wire interface notes for pins 30 and 32. 
Editorial clean up 
Adding Lab Loads and Compliance Points 
Replaced Figure 1 
Adding mSATA connector drawings 
Editorial changes  
Editorial  changes 
Receptacle to Plug 
Editorial changes suggested by Alvin Cox 
Editorial changes on Figures 
Editorial  changes,  adding  references  to  JC11-MO-XXX  and  JC11  SO-
XXX 
for  Figure  124+2  and  Figure  125+2,  replace 
TPR_C101_V20 
 
Page 4 of 15 
Introduction 
 
This proposal is intended to define a new electrical pin-out to allow SATA to be delivered across 
an mSATA interface connector.  This will enable the use of SATA protocol in small form-factor 
applications where the connectors are readily available in the industry.  This proposal is being 
presented by Lenovo on behalf of Lenovo, SanDisk, Samsung, STEC, and Toshiba.
TPR_C101_V20 
 
Page 5 of 15 
Internal mSATA Connector 
1 
This section defines the requirements of an mSATA configuration with a Serial-ATA interface.  
 
The definition supports the following capabilities: 
•  Supports Gen1 (1.5 Gbps) and Gen2 (3 Gbps) transfer rates 
•  Support for mSATA 
•  Support of 3.3 V  
•  Support 4 vendor pins 
•  Support 2 vendor pins, for drive or SSD manufacturing usage 
mSATA 
5.2.10 
1.1  Usage model 
The internal mSATA connector is to be used for embedded applications, part of SATA Rev 3 section 
5.2.10 Mobile Applications. 
 
(Proposed to be added to Table 2 in the SATA Rev 3 spec – Usage Model Descriptions) 
Characteristic 
Use model section number 
Cable and/or backplane type 
Cable length 
Cable Electrical 
Attenuation at 4.5GHz 
Host-side connector 
Device-side connector 
Gen 1i 1.5Gbps 
Gen 1m 1.5Gbps 
Gen 2i 3.0Gbps 
Gen 2m 3.0Gbps 
Gen1x 1.5Gbps 
Gen 2x 3.0Gbps 
Hot plug support 
 
 
(To be defined) 
(To be defined) 
BP 
 
P 
P 
R 
NS 
FS 
NS 
NS 
NS 
NS 
 
 
 
Figure 1: Embedded mSATA Application 
 
1.1.1  Embedded Applications 
Applications and compliance points for mSATA devices in the embedded applications are not defined 
in  this  specification.  The  mSATA  interface  shall  comply  with  Gen1i  and  Gen2i  specifications.  The 
mSATA host and device shall comply with the SATA Rev 3 standard and is equivalent to the Mobile 
Applications usage model. 
 
TPR_C101_V20 
 
 
Page 6 of 15 
1.1.1.1.1  mSATA Lab Load: 
 
Due to the direct connect application of mSATA connection, two different types of mSATA adaptors 
are required as laboratory loads.  The device shall be mated to a female adaptor and the host shall 
be mated to a male connection as shown in Figure 124+1 and Figure 124+2, respectively.  
Test
Signal
mSATA
Male
Connector
(Device)
Compliance
Point
mSATA
Female
Adaptor
(Receptacle)
 
50 Ohms
50 Ohms
HBWS / JMD
Laboratory Load (LL)
50 Ohm
Cables
DCB
DCB
DC Block
(As required)
 
Figure 124+1 – LL Laboratory Load for mSATA Device 
 
Figure 124+2 – LL Laboratory Load for mSATA Host 
The electrical characteristics of the LL shall be greater than the required performance of the 
parameter being measured such that the LL effects of the on the parameter under test may be 
successfully compensated for, or de-embedded, in the measured data. 
 
 
1.1.1.1.2  mSATA Lab Sourced Signal Details 
 
As described in Lab Load Details in 1.1.1.1.1, to properly provide a SATA signal into mSATA device, 
both female and male type mSATA adaptors are required for device and host, respectively as shown 
in Figure 125+1 and Figure 125+2.    
TPR_C101_V20 
 
RX Signal 
to UUT
mSATA
Male
Connector
(Device)
 
 
 
Page 7 of 15 
Compliance
Point
mSATA
Female
Adaptor
(Receptacle)
50 Ohm
Cables
DCB
50 Ohms
DCB
50 Ohms
Data
Signal
Source
DC Block
(As required)
Lab Sourced Signal
Figure 125+1 – LSS Lab-Sourced Signal for mSATA Device 
 
 
Figure 125+2 – LSS Lab-Sourced Signal for mSATA Host 
 
The Lab-Sourced signal is a laboratory generated signal which is calibrated into an impedance 
matched load of 100 Ohms differential and 25 Ohms common mode and then applied to the RX+ and 
RX- signals of the Receiver Under Test. The load used to calibrate the LSS shall have an individual 
return loss greater than 20 dB over a bandwidth of 100 MHz to 5.0 GHz, and greater than 10 dB from 
5 GHz to 8 GHz.  During calibration, the characteristics of the Lab-Sourced signal shall comply with 
the specifications of Error! Reference source not found..  When this signal is then applied to the 
Receiver Under Test the Frame Error Rate specifications of Table 29 shall be met. 
 
 
1.1.1.3.1  mSATA Connector Connection Definition 
 
 
The  compliance  points  of  mSATA  are  shown  in  Figure  134+1  below.    The  same  concepts  of 
compliance point of SATA extends to the mSATA application.  The detailed physical pin dimensions 
are shown in Figure 134+2. 
 
TPR_C101_V20 
 
 
Reference
Plane
Page 8 of 15 
.
.
.
.
.
.
mSATA male 
connector 
(Device)
.
.
.
.
.
.
mSATA female 
connector
 (Host)
Compliance
Point
Figure 134+1– Mated Connector Pair for mSATA 
 
4.00
4.00
0.80
1.50
 
0.60
2.55