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From: neese@adaptex.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: AT vs ST506 Interfaces
Message-ID: <6100016@adaptex>
Date: 10 Oct 89 22:50:00 GMT
References: <20690@mccc.uucp>
Lines: 18
Nf-ID: #R:mccc.uucp:20690:adaptex:6100016:000:878
Nf-From: adaptex.UUCP!neese    Oct 10 17:50:00 1989


Actually, the usage of the term AT, means the drive has a builtin
controller, like a SCSI drive has, but this controller is a ST-506
interface.  It is the controller bulit in to the drive also known as IDE.
All that is needed for this type of drive is a paddle board that does the
I/O decoding.  The drives are about the same price as thier MFM counterpart
but usually come RLL encoded and 1:1, so the price/performance ratio
is much better than the standard ST-506/MFM drive/controller option.
Also consider, that quite a few CPU manufacturers are building the
I/O decode port inot the motherboard, thereby not requiring the paddle
board.  Which all means, you save the price of the controller and a
slot and get much better performance to boot!


			Roy Neese
			Adaptec Central Field Applications Engineer
			UUCP @ {texbell,attctc}!cpe!adaptex!neese
				merch!adaptex!neese