On 10/01/2017 02:58 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
On 10/01/2017 12:46 PM, Tom Gardner via cctalk wrote:
I've looked for but cannot find any WD or Compaq documents publically
using IDE to describe what ultimately issued as ATA-1. My search
included various Compaq maintenance manuals. The earliest public use
of ATA and AT attachment that I can find is March 1969 at the CAM
committee draft standard long before IDE was linuga franca for these
drives. The earliest public disclosure of the interface that I can
find is revision IV to the Conner CP3022 specification dated Feb
1988; it doesn’t name the interface other than in terms of “task file
emulation.” It is likely that such documents existed from Conner
prior to Feb 1988, perhaps as early as shipping the CP344 in 4Q86.
My point is the interface was public before it was named.
My recollection (possibly flawed) is WD tried to have the responsible
committee change the name to IDE and failed.
I do have a confidential WD document from 1965 which does use the
term IDE for "Integrated Drive Electronics" referring to their chips,
a drive built with these chips was called an "Integrated Drive" or an
ID.
The earliest advertisements and specifications for what we would now
call ATA-1 drives from Conner, MiniScribe and Quantum did not use
either the term IDE or ATA. I have a list of terms used if anyone
cares.
As best I can tell WD began publically using the term IDE for its
drives sometime around 1990 - if anyone can find a public usage prior
to March 1989 of IDE to describe what became ATA-1 I'd really like
to see it.
The CAM and ANSI committees have since March 1969 defined ATA == AT
Attachment and NEVER used "Advanced Technology" as an acronym for AT
in any standard or draft including the one cited below! There are
134 possible definitions <https://www.acronymfinder.com/AT.html> of
“AT,” including for example, “Appropriate Technology” – sure the
connection to IBM’s PC/AT is obvious, but the authors, editors and
reviewers of the standards never meant it to mean “Advanced
Technology” so I suggest we respect their definition and not leap to
an obvious but incorrect conclusion.
Tom, I think your dates are about 20 years early.
1969?? Yes, sounds REALLY early to me, too. The 8080, or
even the 4004, had not been developed yet!
The only "PC" was the Biomedical Computer Lab's Programmed
Console (to avoid the use of the
word "computer" which set the corporate suite in a tizzy)
which was a 12-bit computer built into a desk,
descended from the LINC. Mostly used for radiation
treatment planning.
In 1969, the only chips you could buy were SMALL scale
integration, a few gates or FF to a package,
in RTL, DTL, and ECL. TTL was just coming out in 1969-1970.
Western Digital was formed in 1970. I got seriously into
the minicomputer arena in about 1973 with
Data General and DEC PDP-11 systems. Small disks like the
Diablo cartridge drive and larger ones that were essentially
plug-compatible IBM 2314-type drives were available in the
early 1970's. These had very little electronics
in the drive. A little bit of head seek logic and read and
write amps, that was about it.
Jon
