Serial ATA is an evolutionary replacement for the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. It is scalable and allows for enhancements to the computing platform. These include easier integration, faster performance, and more efficient design. SATA provides a transfer rate of 150 MB/s or 300 MB/s against of a 133 MB/s maximum using the previous technology.
Serial ATA is an evolutionary replacement for the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. It is scalable and allows for enhancements to the computing platform. These include easier integration, faster performance, and more efficient design. SATA provides a transfer rate of 150 MB/s or 300 MB/s against of a 133 MB/s maximum using the previous technology.
The parallel ATA specification has defined the standard storage interface for PCs since the protocol was introduced in the 1980s. Parallel ATA led for three main reasons, low cost, broad operating system support, and steady evolution. Parallel ATA evolved to support higher speed and performance while maintaining backward compatibility with older ATA devices. However, for a variety of reasons, including performance headroom, cabling issues, and voltage tolerance requirements, a new storage interface was required. Therefore, the Serial ATA interface was defined. It was officially formed in July 2004 by the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO). The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) is the group responsible for developing, managing, and driving adoption of the Serial ATA specifications. SATA-IO also provides the industry with guidance and support for 15 year old technology with a high speed serial bus supporting up to 10 years of future expansion.
Known as Serial ATA, the new serial interface is designed to overcome the limitations of parallel ATA in addition to providing further enhancements to the storage subsystem in today's platforms. Users of the Serial ATA interface benefit from greater speed, simpler upgradeable storage devices, easier configuration, easier system build-up, simplified cabling, elimination of jumpers, improved overall, system airflow and enhanced reliability.
Adoption of the Serial ATA specification provides low-cost storage for the industry, improved speed and bandwidth, and serves as an evolutionary replacement for the Parallel ATA interface. Implementation of Serial ATA allows for easy integration due to improved cabling, greater flexibility in regard to system configuration and hot plugability. With these enhancements, system builders can create new solutions with fewer limitations and will experience greater interoperability with other interfaces.
