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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!nysernic!itsgw!leah!uwmcsd1!lakesys!gryphon!ddsw1!karl
From: karl@ddsw1.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: 7300 hard drive controller
Message-ID: <119@ddsw1.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Jun-87 01:10:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: ddsw1.119
Posted: Wed Jun 24 01:10:17 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Jun-87 02:07:32 EDT
References: <117@arnold.UUCP>
Organization: Macro Computer Solutions, Mundelein IL
Lines: 16
Keywords: unixpc disk controller
Summary: Buffered seeks

In article <117@arnold.UUCP>, dave@arnold.UUCP (Dave Arnold) writes:
> 
> What exactly is a buffered seek?
> 

A buffered seek is a seek command without a specified time-per-cylinder
step. The drive is supposed to coordinate the request, and let the
controller know when the operation is complete. This is in contrast to a
timed seek, where the controller issues step pulses at a fixed rate. The
advantage of this is that on a long traversal of the media, you can often 
speed up in the middle, getting *much* better performance (since the head is 
already moving, inertia can be disregarded on the middle seek pulses, and 
thus, the seek is completed faster).

Most current drives can perform this task -- and drives which can do
buffered seeks can usually handle 'regular' seeks as well.