IDE Drives with Interactive Unix SysV 3.2 2.02

[Edmund C. Lam]

ISC2.2 will work with DTK217 with Quantum drives.  We have a box here
with two Q40ATs.  

The drawback with IDE comes from the fact that the interface limits
your data transfer rates to an observed maximum of 400K/s.  
The drive might be quick on average access time, but IDE drives 
suffer from low transfer rates.

I had a chance to compare a 'fast' drive, the Quantum 105 in both
IDE and SCSI form (105AT and 105S).  The 105S provided 600K/s with
1542 running at 5.7Mhz DMA (wouldn't work at 8 Mhz).  While the 105AT with
a DTK217 provided only approx. 400K/s. 

This limit was observed on a varity of IDE drives (Quantum 40AT,52AT,80AT,
105AT and 210AT, Maxtor 8051A, Seagate ST157A, Fuj M2611 and M2612) 
connected to various IDE controllers (DTK217, BS3290A, MiniScribe IDE/FD).

For single user use, I suspect that IDE will be adequate.  For multi-user
go with SCSI or ESDI.  The cost difference between IDE and SCSI is about
the cost of the SCSI controller ($300 Cdn).  Most boxes come with multi-I/O
IDE controllers.  The cost of Quantum IDE and SCSI drives are the same.
-- 
        -------------------------------------------
        - Edmund C. Lam (lam at hyper.com)           -
        - HyperCube Inc. #7-419 Phillip Street    -
        -                Waterloo,Ontario N2L 3X2 -