1.1About the Serial ATA interface

The Serial ATA interface provides several advantages over the traditional (parallel) ATA interface. The primary advantages include:

•Easy installation and configuration with true plug-and-play connectivity. It is not necessary to set any jump- ers or other configuration options.

•Thinner and more flexible cabling for improved enclosure airflow and ease of installation.

•Scalability to higher performance levels.

In addition, Serial ATA makes the transition from parallel ATA easy by providing legacy software support. Serial ATA was designed to allow you to install a Serial ATA host adapter and Serial ATA disc drive in your current system and expect all of your existing applications to work as normal.

The Serial ATA interface connects each disc drive in a point-to-point configuration with the Serial ATA host adapter. There is no master/slave relationship with Serial ATA devices like there is with parallel ATA. If two drives are attached on one Serial ATA host adapter, the host operating system views the two devices as if they were both “masters” on two separate ports. This essentially means both drives behave as if they are Device 0 (master) devices.

Note. The host adapter may, optionally, emulate a master/slave environment to host software where two devices on separate Serial ATA ports are represented to host software as a Device 0 (master) and Device 1 (slave) accessed at the same set of host bus addresses. A host adapter that emulates a master/slave environment manages two sets of shadow registers. This is not a typical Serial ATA environment.

The Serial ATA host adapter and drive share the function of emulating parallel ATA device behavior to provide backward compatibility with existing host systems and software. The Command and Control Block registers, PIO and DMA data transfers, resets, and interrupts are all emulated.

The Serial ATA host adapter contains a set of registers that shadow the contents of the traditional device regis- ters, referred to as the Shadow Register Block. All Serial ATA devices behave like Device 0 devices. For addi- tional information about how Serial ATA emulates parallel ATA, refer to the “Serial ATA: High Speed Serialized AT Attachment” specification. The specification can be downloaded from www.serialata.org.

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Barracuda 7200.10 Serial ATA Product Manual, Rev. K

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Seagate ST3250410AS, ST3120215AS, ST3120815AS, ST3160815AS, ST3160215AS, ST3250310AS, ST380815AS About the Serial ATA interface
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ST3200820AS, ST3300820AS, ST3300620AS, ST3500641ASRK, ST3400820AS specifications

The Seagate ST3250310AS and ST3250410AS are notable hard drives that belong to the Barracuda series, known for their value and performance in the consumer and business sectors. These drives, featuring SATA interface technology, are especially popular among users seeking reliable storage solutions for desktops and personal computers.

The ST3250310AS model comes with a storage capacity of 250 GB, while the ST3250410AS offers an increased capacity of 400 GB. Both models are designed with a standard 3.5-inch form factor, making them compatible with most PC enclosures. The drives are equipped with a 7200 RPM rotational speed, which provides enhanced data access times and improved overall performance compared to slower drives.

One of the key features of these devices is their utilization of the SATA 3.0 interface, allowing for data transfer rates of up to 3 Gbps. This interface enhances the drive's performance when paired with compatible motherboards and systems. Additionally, the drives are equipped with a 16 MB buffer, which assists in improving the efficiency of the read and write operations, particularly during tasks that require frequent data access.

Seagate's Advanced Format technology is another characteristic of the ST3250310AS and ST3250410AS. This technology uses larger sector sizes, which allows for more efficient storage of data, resulting in increased capacity and potentially improved reliability. Furthermore, the drives come with a mean time between failures (MTBF) rating of about 1,000,000 hours, signifying their robust build quality designed for durability in varied computing environments.

The hard drives also leverage Seagate's SmartAlign technology, facilitating the drive's operation with Advanced Format hard drives seamlessly. The drives are compatible with various operating systems and are particularly suited for applications requiring high data availability and fast retrieval, such as gaming and media storage.

In summary, the Seagate ST3250310AS and ST3250410AS hard drives are solid options for users looking for dependable, high-performance storage solutions. Their blend of reliability, speed, and efficiency makes them suitable for a variety of applications, from personal computing to small business use. With their combination of advanced technologies and user-friendly characteristics, these drives stand out as capable choices for enhancing computer storage capabilities.
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