An Acronym for Parallel ATA. This was the most popular way of connecting BlockDevices to PCs, until SATA came along. Before that, PATA was just called ATA.
Often mistakenly referred to as IDE.
It is most commonly used in x86 desktop machines running Linux or MicrosoftWindows, and in cheap servers (ie not BigIron). The most typical devices include HardDisks and CDROMs. The form of PATA used for removable devices is called ATAPI.
