Adaptec Accelerates Disk Drive Technology Integration.MILPITAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 11, 1997--Adaptec, Inc. is the first merchant supplier to integrate the disk drive controller, DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive , servo and analog components into a single chip solution with its new AIC-5460. The new IC will mean disk drives will require fewer chips, allowing them to reduce the manufacturers cost while maximizing board real estate and performance, and improving drive reliability. Customer demands for lower cost and higher performance drives is fueling an industry trend toward integration. Adaptec's AIC-5460 integrates several technologies within the drive as well as embedding Adaptec's new diskware and cache technology and providing firmware support. The diskware technology expands the functionality of the AIC-5460, allowing designers to execute code from the data buffer In computing, a buffer is a region of memory used to temporarily hold data while it is being moved from one place to another. Typically, the data is stored in a buffer as it is retrieved from an input device (such as a keyboard) or just before it is sent to an output device (such , hence minimizing the need for costly flash memory components. Additionally, the chip includes analog to digital and digital to analog converters for seamless operation with the read/write channel Same as I/O channel. and VCM/Spin combination products on the market today. "Adaptec leverages its expertise in storage solutions to provide design-partners with increasingly integrated storage technologies," said Don Langley, general manager and director of Adaptec's Mainstream and Removable products group. "The proven functional blocks we've integrated in the AIC-5460 and the consistent process technology associated with the Adaptec controller, servo and DSP products make this integration a low risk, evolutionary solution with additional features that enables higher performance lower cost and faster time to volume production." Adaptec takes the latest controller technology (used in the AIC-8381), its most recent servo technology (used in the AIC-4421), and couples it with increased automation through its diskware technology to yield the AIC-5460. Drive manufacturers who currently use products from these AIC AIC Association des Infermières Canadiennes. families will enjoy easy migration to the new AIC-5460. The consistent architecture and firmware support reduces the designers risk as well, and allows manufacturers to maintain their time-to-market as they upgrade to this new technology. AIC-5460 Design Features AIC-5460's design optimizes performance, reliability and flexibility. The IC supports Ultra DMA 33 protocol and is backward compatible with legacy IDE specifications. The dual on-chip frequency synthesizers optimize AIC-5460's performance between the various blocks; it also features 280 bit ECC (1) (Error-Correcting Code) A type of memory that corrects errors on the fly. See ECC memory. (2) (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) A public key cryptography method that provides fast decryption and digital signature processing. to ensure increased data integrity. AIC-5460's servo block provides the designer flexibility through extensive programmability. Designers using AIC-5460 will have the option to program the servo burst sequencer See MIDI sequencer. (music) sequencer - Any system for recording and/or playback of music via a programmable memory which stores music not as audio data, but as some representation of notes. , the timing mark sequencer and the control output pins. This allows the designer to adapt AIC-5460 to meet specific needs and provide product differentiation Product Differentiation A source of competitive advantage that depends on producing some item that is regarded to have unique and valuable characteristics. . The chip's diskware technology provides a 2KB of programmable cache which enables firmware code execution from the data buffer. This added functionality minimizes the need for flash memory, requiring it to provide basic boot information only. The designer can eliminate the flash memory component and utilize low cost ROM memory components to store boot code information only. "Microprocessor systems and PCs have long enjoyed the benefits of cache subsystems and Adaptec's AIC-5460 provides this performance advantage in a single, integrated disk drive processor chip," said Langley. "Future integration will include DRAM and read channel technologies." Price, Packaging and Availability Adaptec's AIC-5460 is available to OEMs now in sample quantities from Adaptec, in both the QFP (Quad FlatPack) A square, surface mount chip package that has leads on all four sides and comes in several varieties. PQFP (Plastic QFP) may refer to all of the following QFP types. All quad flatpacks use gull-wing leads, except for the CQFP, which stick straight out. and TQFP See QFP. packages. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and volume shipments of the AIC-5460 will begin in the first quarter of 1998, at a price of less than $12. About Adaptec Adaptec provides bandwidth management technologies for organizations building the global information infrastructure. Its high performance I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output. I/O - Input/Output , connectivity, and network products are incorporated into the systems and products of major computer and peripheral manufacturers. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., Adaptec employs 3500 people worldwide in design manufacturing, sales, service and distribution. Adaptec's home page is http://www.adaptec.com . CONTACT: Adaptec Don Langley 408/957-1464 dlangley@corp.adaptec.com |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion