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From: cjp@beartrk.beartrack.com (CJ Pilzer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: info on hard disk & controller
Summary: IDE interface explaination
Message-ID: <432@beartrk.beartrack.com>
Date: 17 Jul 90 06:07:03 GMT
References: <HANS.90Jul13125225@eutes4.ele.tue.nl> <1171@gold.GVG.TEK.COM> <5307@plains.UUCP>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Bear Track Computer Co., Takoma Park, MD.
Lines: 14


The IDE interface is also sometimes called the AT interface.  The actual 
controller is built  into the disk drive and a very simple host board is
but in the buss slot.  The host board merely sends signals between the 
buss and the drive.  All the smarts are in the drive.  This should allow
for really good transfer of data since the controller can be matched closely 
to the drive.  It also allows for some economies in production.  Such
combinations could be either faster or slower than other interfaces.  I think
that most present implementations are faster than MFM and slower than ESDI.

Since the host adapter is so simple it is sometimes built right into the
motherboard.

-- cj