SATA Disk Drives
Serial ATA is the hottest technology being developed for desktop, RAID systems and server drives today.
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Serial ATA interface connected to Barracuda ATA V
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Serial ATA gives you easier installations and the power to perform like never before in systems such as
- desktop systems
- high performance PCs & workstations
- low end server
- near-line storage
- consumer electronic devices
What else?
- a blazing 150MB/sec interface rate
- enhanced data reliability
- longer thinner cables
- no master/slave jumpers
- snap-in like connectors
- and a blazing 150MB/sec speed.
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Size comparison: Parallel ATA connector (left) vs. Serial ATA connector.
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Serial ATA
Serial ATA is the next generation ATA interface. It provides faster data transfer speeds, more bandwidth, more potential for speed increases in future generations and better data integrity. Serial ATA hard ware is smaller and more compact than traditional parallel ATA components. A powerful command set and hot plug features make SATA very attractive for ATA RAID applications.
A group of computer industry leaders has developed a next generation ATA specification that will provide scalable performance for the next decade. ATA is an interface for desktop system drives that is used to connect hard drives and other peripherals to a PC.
The industry takes a major step forward in extending the use of ATA drives by providing the PC industry with Serial ATA. The current interface Parallel ATA has done an outstanding job of providing a desktop interface with tremendous growth and scalability since the 1980s. But a new era of desktop storage has come about; the era of larger and faster hard drives has pushed the boundaries of the Parallel ATA interface. There are new demanding applications for desktop drives that scream for a more flexible and creative way to integrate disc drives.
About Serial ATA
Industry leaders including Intel, Seagate, Maxtor, Dell, APT Technologies designed Serial ATA. This group is known as the Serial ATA working group and includes over 80 companies. This innovative interface is designed to overcome the limitations of Parallel ATA and eventually replace it.
Serial ATA offers consumers a new level of interface scalable performance, flexibility, and cost efficiency. Industry leaders designed Serial ATA with customer convenience in mind by ensuring 100% software compatibility, flexible thin cables, hot plug connectors, and improved data reliability and protection.
With a maximum external (burst) data transfer speed of 150 MB per second, Serial ATA improves hard drive performance to keep pace with increasing data intensive environments such as audio/video, consumer electronics and entry-level servers. The new drives appearing Q4 2004 SATA-II drives will allow transfer speeds of 300 MB per second.
Serial ATA brings these powerful benefits for storage solutions:
- Improved command set for better data integrity
- Performance increase to 150MB/s maximum external (burst) data transfer rate
- Thin cables for easy routing and improved cooling inside a PC chassis or JBOD box
- Maximum cable length increases to 1 meter for increased design and layout flexibility in a system
- Connectors designed for blind mate and hot plug
- Reduced pin count enables RAID scalability
- Backward compatible with existing parallel ATA software and driver
Learn More
Serial ATA FAQ
Serial ATA in the News and online media kit
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