Linux Chipset support at http://www.linux-ide.org/
Quantum Corporation Announces Ultra ATA/100 - Paving the Way for a New Wave
of Faster, More Reliable Personal Computers
Quantum Develops Third Generation Hard Drive Interface to Enhance Data
Integrity, Speed Delivery of Information, and Protect Against Data
Bottlenecks
MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2000-- Quantum Corporation's Hard
Disk Drive Group (NYSE:HDD - news) today announced the availability of Ultra
ATA/100 - a new high-speed hard disk drive interface designed to enhance
data integrity, speed data transfers, and avert future data gridlock between
computers and hard drives.
Ultra ATA/100 is the third generation of patented, hard drive interface
technology developed and introduced by Quantum. The interface is supported
by Intel Corp. and other leading chip manufacturers as well as the world's
leading personal computer and hard disk drive manufacturers. Ultra ATA/100
will be available in Quantum products shipping in the fall of 2000,
delivering data throughput of 100 megabytes per second. Acer, Compaq
Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Fujitsu, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard Co.,
IBM Corp., and NEC Corp. all have plans to offer future computer systems
using the ATA/100 interface.
``Quantum has once again taken a leadership position in the development of
parallel ATA interface technologies dating back to 1996 when it introduced
ATA/33 and again in 1998 when it released ATA/66,'' said Danielle Levitas,
research manager of International Data Corporation's (IDC) Storage Group.
``Quantum's efforts in this area have certainly provided value to PC OEMs
and component manufacturers who are always striving to develop faster, more
robust and reliable computer systems, of which the hard drive interface is
an integral part.''
Bridging the Gap to Serial ATA
The Ultra ATA/100 interface provides a critical technology bridge between
ATA/66 and the future availability of the Serial ATA interface, which is
currently under development. Serial ATA has industry-wide support and is
expected to be widely deployed in new computer systems by 2005. In the
meantime, Ultra ATA/100 will provide mature technologies to meet the
heightened throughput demands that large, complex files are placing on
desktop systems. Once these higher performance systems and drives become
available, the Ultra ATA/100 interface will require less time to boot a
computer system and open applications.
``Intel is pleased that Quantum has worked with us to feature their Ultra
ATA/100 technology in the Intel® 820E chipset,'' said Tony Sica, director of
marketing for Intel's Desktop Platform Group. ``Consumers will benefit from
the increase in performance and headroom that Ultra ATA/100 will provide for
today's and tomorrow's applications.''
Quantum is a Pioneer in New Interface Technologies
Quantum developed Ultra ATA /33 in 1996, breathing new life into what many
thought was a dying interface. It was widely believed in 1996 that the ATA
transfer rates could never reliably exceed 16 MB per second. However,
Quantum was able to successfully extend the transfer rate to 33 MB per
second through the use of double-edge clocking and improved reliability
through the use of Cyclical Redundancy Checking (CRC). Two years later,
Quantum introduced Ultra ATA/66, utilizing a multitude of improvements in
signal quality. Quantum's development work with new interface technologies
enabled faster, more reliable PC systems, and provided the entire hard disk
drive industry with necessary standards to establish an infrastructure for
the future.
``Next year, disk transfer rates will exceed 66 MB per second requiring an
extension of the Ultra ATA interface from 66 MB to 100 MB per second in
order to avoid becoming the data bottleneck,'' said Jim McGrath, technical
marketing director for Quantum's Desktop Storage Division. ``No other
technology with the proven reliability and backward compatibility of
Quantum's Ultra ATA interface can be deployed fast enough to prevent this
real data gridlock issue. In the future, as drives rates continue to
increase, we foresee Serial ATA as the successor to parallel Ultra ATA
interface.''
Availability
The specification for Ultra ATA/100, which is patented by Quantum, will be
generally available in June. With free licensing and a cooperative approach
with all companies, Ultra ATA/100 is well positioned for quick adoption by
the ATA standards body. Once licensing is executed, vendors other than
Quantum can announce and begin shipping products that incorporate ATA/100
technology. Ultra ATA/100 is backward compatible with the existing ATA
standard. Personal computer users who want to upgrade from Ultra ATA/ 66 to
Ultra ATA/100 will need to purchase an Ultra ATA/100 adapter card. Those
upgrading from Ultra ATA/33, will also need to purchase an 80-pin conductor
cable. The cable, which is plug-compatible with existing ATA connectors, has
additional ground lines that permit higher data transmission rates with
improved margins. This reduces the likelihood of electronic noise
interference.
About Quantum
Founded in 1980, Quantum Corporation (www.quantum.com) is the world's
leading storage supplier in six of the seven markets it serves: desktop hard
disk drives, tape drives, network attached storage (NAS) appliances, solid
state systems, hard disk drives for the emerging personal video recorder
(PVR) market, and DLTtape(TM) automation systems. Quantum is also a leading
supplier of high-end hard disk drives. In 1999 Quantum became the first
Silicon Valley company to issue tracking stock, replacing its existing
common stock with the ticker symbols DSS and HDD, which track the separate
performance of the company's DLT and Storage Systems and Hard Disk Drive
businesses. Both stocks are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Selling
its products through OEM and distribution channels worldwide, sales for the
fiscal year ending March 2000 were $1.4 billion for Quantum's DLT and
Storage Systems Group and $3.3 billion for Quantum's Hard Disk Drive Group.
Quantum Corp., 500 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035, 408/894-4000,
www.quantum.com
The foregoing statements regarding new technology introduction, performance,
and customer acceptance are forward looking statements and actual results
could vary. Factors which could affect actual results include the ability to
successfully manufacture, and integrate new technology into new products,
competing technologies, and the uncertainty of market acceptance of new
technology.
Quantum and the Quantum logo are trademarks of Quantum Corporation,
registered in the United States and other countries.
********************************
Andre Hedrick
The Linux ATA/IDE guy
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