Timothy Daniels said:
eSATA is virtually SATA with a shielded cable and connector
and double the length that SATA allows:
http://www.sata-io.org/docs/External SATA WP 11-09.pdf
*TimDaniels*
The eSATA document states:
"With the 2-meter cable, in order to account for any additional losses
over the cable, the minimum voltage transmitted is raised from 400 to
500 mV, and the minimum receiver sensitivity is further decreased to
240 mV. These changes accommodate any additional degradation
within the longer cable or additional connectors in the signal path."
In other words, for cable lengths shorter than 1 meter (i.e. 39"),
and good connectors, a SATA controller should suffice for eSATA,
but just not guaranteed.
*TimDaniels*