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 normally necessary to set any jumpers 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 http://www.serialata.org.

1.2Non-volatile cache (NVC)

Momentus 5400.3 PSD SATA include a non-volatile cache feature. For a user to see the benefits of NVC, the host operating system must support the “Non-volatile cache” commands (B6h) and associated subcommands as specified in the ATA-8 specification. See Section 4.3 for the list of commands supported by Momentus 5400.3 PSD SATA drives (including the Non-volatile cache commands).

Non-volatile cache is designed to:

•Improve performance

•Provide power savings and battery life (in notebook systems)

•Improve reliability

•Reduce acoustic noise in some read/write operations

Improve performance

The non-volatile cache (NVC) improves performance by writing and reading to the non-volatile cache rather than waiting for the rotating media to complete spinning-up from sleep, standby, and hibernate modes. Perfor- mance improvements may also be seen from minimizing disc seeks and enabling more I/Os per second. The non-volatile cache also improves cold boot performance when used with operating systems designed to take advantage of this cache.

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Momentus 5400.3 PSD SATA Product Manual, Rev. A

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Seagate ST9808212AS, ST9608210AS, ST91608220AS About the Serial ATA interface, Non-volatile cache NVC, Improve performance
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ST91608220AS, ST9608210AS, ST91208220AS, ST9808212AS, ST91008220AS specifications

Seagate is a renowned name in the data storage industry, offering high-quality hard disk drives that cater to various needs. Among its product lineup, the Seagate ST91008220AS, ST9808212AS, ST91208220AS, ST9608210AS, and ST91608220AS are significant models that showcase the company’s commitment to innovation and performance.

The ST91008220AS is a 1TB drive with a 7200 RPM rotational speed, designed primarily for desktop computers. Its SATA 3 Gb/s interface facilitates faster data transfer rates, making it ideal for users who require additional storage without sacrificing performance. The drive’s 32 MB cache enhances read and write speeds, ensuring swift access to files and applications.

Next in line, the ST9808212AS is also a 7200 RPM drive, but it offers a capacity of 80GB. This model is tailored more for entry-level systems, where space is limited but reliability is crucial. With its efficient data management features, it provides a robust solution for everyday computing tasks.

The ST91208220AS offers a balanced combination of performance and capacity, packing 120GB of storage into a similar 7200 RPM design. This model is well-suited for general use in both desktop and gaming environments, providing ample space for operating systems, applications, and games without compromising on speed.

For users seeking a high-performance option, the ST9608210AS stands out with its 600GB storage capacity. With a rotation speed of 10000 RPM, this drive is tailored for demanding applications such as video editing and gaming, where fast access to data is essential. Its SAS interface allows for even more efficient data management in enterprise environments.

Lastly, the ST91608220AS is another 160GB option, also designed for environments that demand high performance. This drive's enhanced reliability features, such as error correction and thermal management, allow it to excel in heavy-use conditions.

All these models include key technologies like Seagate’s SmartAlign, which helps users transition to advanced formatting with ease, and Adaptive Differential Encoding, enhancing data integrity. Additionally, these drives support a variety of platforms and systems, making them versatile options for consumers and businesses alike.

In summary, the Seagate ST91008220AS, ST9808212AS, ST91208220AS, ST9608210AS, and ST91608220AS are primed for diverse storage needs, delivering excellent performance and reliability across different applications and environments. Their combination of rotational speeds, cache sizes, and advanced technologies ensures that Seagate remains a leader in the hard drive market.
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