MaXLine Plus Ideal For NAS, Multimedia

Serial ATA

Fearing that the technology would make inroads where other interfaces were entrenched, manufacturers kept their production of Serial ATA drives in check. But seeing now that the interface is so sought-after, vendors have had no choice but to offer it up.

One recent product that system builders may want to consider is Maxtor's MaXLine Plus II 250-Gbyte hard drive.

Ideal for NAS and multimedia applications, the 7,500-rpm drive offers an 8-Mbyte buffer and an external transfer rate of 150 Mbytes per second.

While Serial ATA drives handle data more efficiently than Parallel ATA offerings, the performance boost offered by Serial ATA depends largely on the drive's application and the ability of the drive controller to take advantage of that improved data handling.

For that reason, CRN Test Center engineers recommend that system builders take into consideration not only the drive but also the controller and/or motherboard they use to build a storage solution.

Serial ATA was designed as a cost-efficient alternative to Parallel ATA, the limitations of which are becoming apparent.

Parallel ATA also presents some design issues, such as a 5-volt signaling requirement, a high pin count and cabling headaches. Serial ATA reduces voltage and pin-count requirements, and uses slim cabling.

Maxtor's MaXLine Plus II is a prime example of the benefits of Serial ATA. Every feature considered for inclusion in the Serial ATA spec was evaluated on the basis of how it affects the price of a PC. If a feature would raise the price of a solution, it was not considered by the Serial ATA Working Group.

Rumor has it that transfer rates for the next generation of Serial ATA will be double what they are today. For now, though, the interface remains a good choice when initial cost is a concern and the storage solution's transaction level is low.