The eSATA interface offers advantage over USB on the speed and the external booting ability. But the lack of BUS power (power carries over the same cable) has limtited the eSATA implementation into many portable storage devices. To add the BUS power capabitity to the eSATA interface, a new eSATA USB Hybrid Port (EUHP) has been added into many Notebook systems. This new hybrid port is also expected to appear in new generation of motherboard and Desktop systems.

The EUHP (eSATA USB Hybrid Port) is a standard supported by many PC and Peripheral manufacturers and is not the result of the Power Over eSATA initiative as announced by the SATA-IO organization in 2008. As of today, SATA-IO organization has not finalized the Power Over eSATA standard.

Below are the pictures and pin out information of the eSATA, USB and the eSATA USB Hybrid Port (EUHP):

The pictures above show the EUHP essentially combines the eSATA port and USB port into a single connector. With this set up, Notebook systems gain both eSATA and USB capability via a single connector, thus reducing the number of port openings on the computer. The EUHP port is compatibility with existing eSATA cable and USB cable. So depending on the type of cable is inserted, the EUHP port functions either as a standard eSATA port or USB port. When a special hybrid eSATA cable is attached to the EUHP, the USB power can also be carried by the cable to the external device via the eSATA connection. So many existing low power 5V eSATA storage devices can now be USB powered while the data portion is transmitted over the high speed eSATA.

There are two versions of EUHPs - the 5V EUHP and the12V EUHP. All the EUHPs on the Notebook are of the 5V types and it can power most of the 5V type of devices such as external 2.5" hard drives, SSD and slim optical drives. On Desktop system or motherboard, the EUHP is most likely the 12V type which carries both 5V and 12V power over the cable. Both type of EUHPs use the same EUHP connector. On the 5V type of EUHP, there are no P12 and P13 pins inside the port (see diagram above).

Likewise, there are also two types of eSATA USB Hybride cables - the 5V only (also called 5V Hybrid eSATA) and one that has both 5V + 12V (the 12V Hybrid eSATA). Both type of cables can be inter-mixed with the 5V and 12V EUHP. However to get both 5V and 12V power to the device, the 12V Hybrid cable must be used on a 12V EUHP. All the Addonics EUHP PCI-E host controller are of the 12V type. With the addition of the 12V power, external 3.5" hard drives and standard height optical drives can also be powered via the Hybrid eSATA cable.

Below is the picture of the connector and the pinout definition for the 12V Hybrid eSATA cable for inserting into the EUHP on the host side (computer side). For the 5V Hybrid eSATA cable, there are no P12 and P13 pins as indicated by the two missing metal tabs on the side of the connector.

Addonics eSATA USB Hybrid solution

To take adavntage of the power provided by the eSATA USB Hybrid port (EUHP), Addonics will be offering a full family of Hybrid eSATA cables to provide BUS power support for majority of the Addonics eSATA storage solutions.

Addonics also offers EUHP ExpxressCard adapter and PCI-E host controller for Notebook and Desktop systems repectively. In addition, there are also EUHP bracket that convert internal eSATA and USB ports in desktop systems to EUHP that can be accessed on the back of computer or via the 3.5" drive bay at the front.

Below is list of our current product offering that supports the EUHP: eSATAp CFast adapter

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