Maxtor manual Maxtor D540X-4G

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$4'#This appendix-+0)provides￿6*'information￿￿￿￿￿about)+)#the 137GB$;6'storage#RRGPFKZbarrier￿561#)'$.#It discusses44+'4￿the# history, cause and the solution to overcome this barrier.

#￿￿ $TGCMKPICapacity￿VJGbarriers￿￿￿￿￿have)KICD[VGbeen a fact￿5VQTCIGof the personal￿$CTTKGTcomputer world since its beginnings in the early 1980’s. At least 10 different capacity barriers have occurred in the storage industry over the last 15 years. The most notable barriers seen previously have been at 528 megabytes and then at 8.4 gigabytes.

The most recent barrier which will be surmounted in 2001, is the 137-gigabyte limit or a single ATA drive. The first ATA devices to exceed 137 gigabytes will be four- platter hard disk drives with 40 gigabytes per platter, yielding 160 gigabytes per drive. These drives will be available in the second half of 2001. Later in the same year, capacity will continue to grow to 60 gigabytes per platter, and a three-disk, 180- gigabyte device will be available and shipping.

The ANSI NCITS T13 Technical Committee (also known as the ANSI ATA committee) has broken this barrier by incorporating a proposal from Maxtor into the ATA/ATAPI-6 draft standard that defines a method for 48-bit addressing on a single drive, giving more than 144 petabytes (144,000 gigabytes) of storage.

In addition, the proposal from Maxtor that was incorporated into ATA/ATAPI-6 defines a method for extending the maximum amount of data that can be transferred per command for ATA devices from 256 sectors (about 131 kilobytes) to 65,536 sectors (about 33 megabytes). This new method is particularly useful for applications that use extremely large files, such as those for A/V or multimedia.

The following sections will describe issues surrounding the 137-gigabyte barrier and the solution for breaking it.

#￿￿￿￿*KUVQT[Many of the “barriers” in the past resulted from BIOS and operating system issues caused by failure to anticipate the remarkable increases in device storage capacity by the people who designed hard disk structures, access routines, and operating systems many years ago. They thought, “Who will ever have xxx much storage?” In some cases, the barriers were caused by hardware or software bugs not found until hard disks had grown in size beyond a certain point where the bugs would occur.

Maxtor D540X-4G

A-1

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Contents CZVT2TQFWEV&/CPWCN /CTEJ20# Page Corporate Headquarters March 5,2002 Page 6CDNGQH%QPVGPVU1-1 Table of Contents KUVQHKIWTGU2-6 Maxtor D540X-4G Megabyte&GUETKRVKQP 5KIPCNSignal%QPXGPVKQPUnames are shown in all uppercase type Introduction Page 4G160J8 317,632 320,173,056 163.9GB LBA Product Description Smart 1PCBA Jumper Location and Configuration Master/Slave,7/24%10+74#6+10 Product Description Appendix /1&.A Prml Sdram Kiwtg 2100 /# 5JQEMCPF8KDTCVKQP 3W750 DPPMCPEG4CVG Maxtor D540X-4G Institute and maintain Educate and inform Kiwtg Kiwtg Antistatic bag Handling and Installation Maxtor D540X-4G 6CDNG Cvwtg 0QVG Maxtor D540X-4G Service and Support Maxtor D540X-4G DOS Breaking the 137GB Storage Barrier Little more than 30 pages of text Breaking the 137GB Storage Barrier Breaking the 137GB Storage Barrier Maxtor D540X-4G G-1 Glossary FCI Acronym for flux changes per inch. See also BPI Glossary Maxtor D540X-4G G-5 Glossary Maxtor D540X-4G G-7 Glossary Maxtor D540X-4G G-9 Glossary

D540X-4G specifications

The Maxtor D540X-4G, introduced in the early 2000s, is a notable hard disk drive that carved a niche in the consumer and business storage market. It is part of the D540X series, known for its reliability and substantial storage capacity for its time, boasting an impressive 4GB of storage.

One of the standout features of the D540X-4G is its advanced ATA/100 interface, allowing for a high data transfer rate of up to 100 MB/s. This was a significant leap forward in performance, enabling faster access to data and improved system responsiveness. Unlike older interfaces, the ATA/100 significantly reduced bottlenecks, making it an ideal choice for users who required efficient data management.

The D540X-4G was built on a 5400 RPM spindle speed. While this wasn't as fast as some higher-end drives available at the time, it provided a balance between speed and thermal efficiency. The combination of its rotational speed and data density allowed for a commendable average seek time, which translated into quicker file access for everyday applications, such as word processing and spreadsheet management.

Another commendable attribute of the D540X-4G is its acoustic management technology, which ensured that the drive operated quietly, minimizing distraction in office environments or home setups. This was particularly beneficial for users who needed to maintain a serene working atmosphere.

In terms of durability, the D540X-4G featured a robust design with built-in shock protection. This characteristic offered an additional layer of safety for data integrity, especially vital in portable systems where exposure to movement is frequent. Maxtor also placed a focus on providing error-correction capabilities, which further enhanced data reliability.

The D540X-4G utilized a halogen-free design in its manufacturing process, reflecting an early commitment to environmental considerations, which would become increasingly important in the years to follow.

Overall, the Maxtor D540X-4G hard drive highlighted the advancements in storage technology of the time, combining ample capacity, improved speed, and reliability in a user-friendly package. It appealed to a broad spectrum of users, from everyday home computing to small business applications, making it a valuable player in the computing landscape during its era.