OT - 486 w/newer IDE drives

[Chuck Guzis]

On 23 Nov 2006 at 14:01, Chris M wrote:

> --- Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote:
>  I was mainly wondering if an ISA card exists that has
> a ATA100 or 133 interface. Not that it matters that
> much, any drive of that type is going to be at least
> 40 gigs I would imagine. I just can't erase some of
> these drives I have laying aroung (probably
> approaching 1 terabyte worth), but I'm truly wondering
> whether the Western Digital overlay software would
> work on a 486 (386? 286?). Ah well. Maybe I'll have
> the time to explore it next Thanksgiving!

I rather doubt that they exist.  Pwrt of the ATA 100/133 spec is fast 
DMA mode transfers over the PCI bus.  I don't think the ISA bus has 
the bandwidth for it.    

But accomodating large drives (even ATA-6 drives) is mostly a matter 
of software.  What hasn't changed much at all is the electrical 
aspect of the parallel ATA hookup.  Even the UDAM4 cable (presence or 
absence) is mostly invisible to the host.  And every ATA drive ever 
made will perform mode 0 PIO transfers.

Cheers,
Chuck