Seagate Technology Inc has added the Medalist family of ATA/IDE-interface desktop disk drives, as the latest models in its Multimedia Ready range for the OEM market, claiming that with a 2.1Gb maximum the drives offer the highest capacity available for drives spinning at 5,400rpm. The AT-compatible Fast ATA-2 interface enables programmed input-output PIO Mode 4 data transfer. Seagate has also launched the third generation of the Barracuda line, taking maximum capacity to 8.7Gb and introducing magneto-resistive heads and Partial Response, Maximum Likelihood read channels. The Medalist drives have average seek times of 10mS; sustained data transfer rates of 3.5Mbps with burst rates of 16.6Mbps over Fast ATA-2 interfaces; and 256Kb multi-segmented caches. There are two versions, the 2.1Gb Medalist 2140 and 1.6Gb Medalist 1640. Other features include data streaming in the drive’s controller to reduce drive command overhead and SMART self-monitoring, analysis and reporting technology to warn users of impending failure. Evaluation units and volume are set for next quarter, when pricing will be announced. The latest Barracuda drives come in 8.7Gb, 4.3Gb and 2.1Gb versions and will come with either Ultra SCSI or Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop interfaces. The new Barracudas, aimed at the server and supercomputer markets, use magneto-resistive heads, Partial Response, Maximum Likelihood and embedded-servo technologies; they spin at 7,200rpm and have 8mS average seek times and 4.17mS latencies and a 512Kb cache for data buffering that can segment itself into up to 16 partitions. Other features include support for hot-plug SCSI and Blind-Mate single connector to appeal to RAID disk array designers – connection or disconnection to an array can be made with no corruption of data or power transients, the company claims. Evaluation units of the three drives will be out next quarter with production quantities in the fourth; no prices.
