CMD Announces New Ultra 66 PCI-to-IDE/ATA Host Controller Chip for 3.3V Systems; The Most Cost-Effective Way to Add Ultra 66 to PCs and Embedded Systems.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 1999--

CMD Technology Inc. (www.cmd.com) Monday announced the availability of the PCI-648, its new stand-alone Ultra 66 PCI-to-IDE/ATA host controller for 3.3V systems.

The PCI-648 is the first CMD host controller that supports the Ultra 66 data-transfer protocol. It also supports slower bus master data-transfer rates to accommodate hard disk drives (HDDs) that do not support Ultra 66.

"The performance of Ultra 66, the newest and fastest IDE/ATA standard, is comparable to the more expensive SCSI standard," said Bob Salem, CMD semiconductor product manager. "And CMD's PCI-648 is the most cost-effective solution for adding Ultra 66 to any system. Obviously, it is a great product for PC manufacturers.

"But the PCI-648 is also ideal for manufacturers of printers, remote point-of-sale terminals, set-top boxes and other embedded products, who use or want to use HDDs to expand the capabilities of their products. The low cost of the PCI-648 will be the enabling force that increases the use of HDDs for these applications."

A stand-alone host controller, the PCI-648 provides designers with unmatched flexibility in adding the latest IDE/ATA interfaces to their systems. This kind of flexibility is not possible with chipsets that combine the Ultra 66 function with other chipset functions.

The PCI-648 is the ideal single-chip solution for designs based on chipsets without an integrated IDE/ATA host controller, or designs that require additional IDE/ATA channels to accommodate the growing number of storage peripherals with IDE/ATA interfaces.

Each IDE/ATA channel has access to a 128-byte buffer, with each channel operating independently from the other. Up to two IDE/ATA devices (hard disk drive, DVD drive, etc.) are allowed per channel for a total of four devices. The selected PCI bus is a 32-bit bus at 33MHz.

A built-in phase-lock loop generates an internal 66MHz clock from the 33MHz PCI bus clock. This internal 66MHz clock is used to transfer data at the rate of 66Mb/sec on to the IDE/ATA interface. Both channels are capable of supporting the new Ultra 66 data-transfer rate.

A built-in 80-pin cable detector provides the ability to determine if the user's cable can support the Ultra 66 data-transfer rate. The PCI-648 is also capable of supporting Native mode, external BIOS, Legacy mode, Enhanced IDE/ATA mode (DMA and multi-word DMA mode) and all of the ATA PIO modes.

Anticipating the move by most systems (PC and embedded) to a 3.3V platform, the design of the PCI-648 is based in a 0.35um CMOS process. However, because of its 5V tolerant I/O, the PCI-648 is also compatible with 5V external circuitry.

The PCI-648 has complete drivers for DOS, Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, and 2000 (when released by Microsoft). These drivers enable performance optimization and the enhanced data integrity features available with Ultra 66. The PCI-648 is also fully operational and compatible with default IDE/ATA drivers from Microsoft.

The PCI-648 is available in a 160-pin TQFP (thin quad flat package). The inclusion of more ground pins ensures that the controller has high signal quality and can accommodate the new Ultra 66 data-transfer rates specified in ATA/ATAPI-5.

Price and Availability

PCI-648 unit pricing, in 5,000 piece lots, is $10.60. Production quantities will be available in August 1999. Engineering samples, for customer evaluation, are available today. Ordering part number: ICS-00648-C00.

CMD Technology supplies leading-edge peripheral-storage controller technology -- and high-performance semiconductor products -- to OEMs, VARs, integrators and resellers.

CMD is a worldwide leader in RAID peripheral controller solutions for the UNIX, Open Systems and PC marketplaces -- and a leading supplier of IDE, Ultra ATA and Universal Serial Bus (USB) semiconductors for some of the world's finest computer systems.

Additional information may be obtained by contacting CMD Technology Inc., 19 Morgan, Irvine, Calif. 92618. Phone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]. Web site: www.cmd.com.