Tuesday, December 5th, 2000
Initio Corp. Introduces
New 1394 to ATAPI Solution Which Supports UDMA 66
Initio Corp., a leading maker of
input/output (I/O) solutions for computers and peripherals, today announced the
Initio(R) INIC-1420, Initio's first fully functional link controller to provide
the IEEE 1394 "FireWire" interface to UDMA 66 and ATAPI peripheral designs. The
INIC-1420 single-chip controller enables data rates in excess of 40MB/sec. and
allows original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to design advanced peripherals --
disk, tape, CD-recordable/rewritable and DVD drives -- with unprecedented speed
and connectivity of FireWire.
The INIC-1420 is one of the first FireWire link controllers on the
market with full firmware support. This support helps original-equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) achieve quicker time to market for FireWire-interface
drives used in digital video and redundant array of inexpensive drive (RAID)
applications.
Single-Chip FireWire Device with Full Firmware Support
The INIC-1420 is the next-generation FireWire link controller
from Initio, building on the company's INIC-1410 device that was introduced in
1999 and has been shipping to leading drive OEMs. The INIC-1420 integrates a
1394 core with the UDMA 66 and ATAPI interfaces into a single chip. The Serial
Bus Protocol-2 (SBP-2)-compliant firmware is stored in an external Flash ROM,
independent of the host operating system. Supporting data transfers in excess of
40MB/sec., the INIC-1420 supports four and three DMA modes.
"Drive makers and their customers have been restricted in their
effort to realize the full potential of FireWire in applications such as digital
video and RAID systems," said Eric Wilson, director of business development at
Initio Corp. "With the INIC-1420, FireWire drives now can meet the intended
bandwidth requirement for which the interface was designed."
Ideal Interconnect, Array of Features
The INIC-1420 provides an ideal
interconnect between proven drive designs and the FireWire interface. The device
allows peripherals to communicate directly with each other without burdening the
host unit, permits scalable networks supporting multiple speeds and enables true
plug-and-play solutions. The device's array of key features
include:
Availability and Pricing
The INIC-1420 will sample in Q4'00 and be available in
100-pin LQFP package for $9 in volume quantity. Contact Initio Corp. at
408/577-1919 or 800/99INITIO (800/994-6486).
Initio Corp. (www.initio.com) is
a privately held maker of input/output solutions for the information-technology
industry. Founded in 1994, Initio is based in San Jose, Calif.
Note to Editors: Initio is a trademark of Initio Corporation, which may be registered
in some jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
holders.
-- Performs 1394a cycle master
-- Supports asynchronous transfers at 100, 200 and 400 Mb/sec.
-- PIO mode 0-4, DMA mode 0-2, UDMA 66 mode 0-2
-- Supports SBP-2, which includes ATA, RBC & MMC-2 command sets
-- Supports industry-standard PHY through external port
-- Local bus interface to expansion ROM, NVRAM, and 8-bit processor
-- Separate command-in/command-out and page-table buffers
-- Seamless integration of variety of drive types:
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