Maxtor Embraces Ultra320 SCSI

Maxtor, based on its collaboration with LSI Logic, is now boasting interoperability between its Atlas 10K III hard disk drives and LSI's Ultra320 SCSI controllers. The Altas 10K III drives give you transfer speeds of 320 MB per second (with the appropriate Ultra320 controller) and up to 73 GB storage capacity in a 1" high form factor. The Ultra320 SCSI interface is backwards-compatible with previous versions of SCSI interfaces, though devices using it only run as fast as the maximum operating speed of the older gear they're attached to (for example, 160 MB per second if attached to an Ultra160 SCSI interface). The Atlas 10K III has a rotational speed of 10,000 RPM, an average seek time of 4.5 ms and an 18 GB/platter density and makes use of all the mandatory and optional Ultra320 SCSI interface features defined in T10/SPI-4 rev 7 draft standard features, which includes adaptive active filtration (AAF). Qualification units of Maxtor's Atlas 10K III Ultra320 will be available starting in November 2001 and volume shipments will begin in early Q1 2002. For an overview of the technology and features behind the Ultra320 SCSI interface, check out the SCSI Trade Association website . For those of you who aren't hip to reading white papers, bear in mind that these drives won't give you faster transfer rates unless your system supports the new standard.