Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!cbnewsh!rkl
From: rkl@cbnewsh.att.com (kevin.laux)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: What does IDE stand for?
Message-ID: <1991Mar20.135224.10292@cbnewsh.att.com>
Date: 20 Mar 91 13:52:24 GMT
References: <1296.27e638de@sleepy.bmd.trw.com>
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 27

In article <1296.27e638de@sleepy.bmd.trw.com>, cliburn@sleepy.bmd.trw.com writes:
>         what does IDE stand for?  Is it a magnetic recording method
> for disks?  Or is it an interface?

	It's an interface.

	IDE (take your pick ;-))

	Intelligent Drive Interface
	Imbedded Drive Electronics
	Integrated Drive Electronics

	These drives have most of the controller functions built into the
drive circuitry.  Most use RLL (Run Length Limited) encoding and 36 sectors
per track (which is not acceptable for most AT BIOS drive tables).  Most
IDE drives do a translation so they can be used in systems that do not
support the drive type needed.

> BTW, what does MFM stand for, too?  Modified Frequency Modulation?

	Yes.

-- 
________________________________________________________________________________
	R. Kevin Laux				Email: rkl1@hound.att.com
	AT&T Bell Labs				Voice: (908) 949-1160
	Holmdel, NJ 07733			Fax:   (908) 949-0959