Course 316: Serial ATA (SATA) Fundamentals - TONEX.com

Much more than an overview, this class provides a thorough understanding of the Serial ATA: its protocol, its core functionality, its evolution, how it emulates parallel ATA, the various options, interworking with Serial Attached SCSI (SAS), and error recovery strategies.

Overview of the ATA Interface

•  ATA Interface Origins
•  Advanced Technology (AT) interface
•  Parallel ATA Success - Why Change?
•  Serial ATA Roadmap
•  Evolutionary Improvements
•  ATA Interface Origins
•  Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE) extensions
•  Faster HDD access and logical block addressing (LBA)
•  ATAPI for support of other peripheral devices
•  ATAPI for support of other peripheral devices
•  CD-ROM drives and tape drives
•  Programmed Input/Output (PIO), direct memory access (DMA), and Ultra DMA (UDMA)
•  Multiple data-transfer modes
•  Programmed Input/Output (PIO)
•  Direct memory access (DMA)
•  Ultra DMA (UDMA)
•  Backward compatibility with older ATA devices
•  Cyclic redundancy checking (CRC) for improved data protection and greater overall data integrity
•  The Need for Change
•  Desktop Storage Interfaces
•  ATA Device Connectivity

ATA Architecture

•   The I/O register model
•   CHS and LBA addressing
•   PIO and DMA data transfer modes
•  Task File Register Review
•   Command Execution
•   PIO Transfers
•   DMA Transfers
•   Parallel bus functions

Serial ATA Overview

•   Serial ATA Concept
•   General overview
•   Sub-module operation
•   Standard ATA Emulation
•   Shadow Registers
•   Frames and FIS
•   PIO Command Execution
•   DMA Command Execution
•   Flow Control
•   Serial Engine Overview

Serial ATA Technical Architecture

•   Layered Architecture
•   Frames and Primitives
•   Frame Information Structures
•   Transport Layer Overview
•   Link Layer Overview
•   Physical Layer Overview
•   Command Examples
•   SATA II Enhancement

Interface Migration Issues

•   Data robustness issues
•   Cable Issues
•   SCSI
•   Fiber Channel
•   Ultra 640
•   Ultra ATA-100
•   IDE / ATA
•   Parallel ATA (parallel IDE)
•   Serial ATA
•   Alternative serial interface technologies
•   Universal Serial Bus (USB)
•   IEEE 1394 Firewire
•   Serial ATA Generation
•   Serial ATA-1, Serial ATA-2, Serial ATA-3

Transport Layer

•   Transport Layer Functions
•   Frame Information Structures
•   Interface to Host HW/SW/FW
•   Interface to Drive HW/FW

Link Layer

•   Link Layer Functions
•   8b/10b Encoding
•   Primitives & Primitive Signaling
•   Framing concepts
•   Scrambling

Physical (Phy) Layer

•   Phy Layer Functions
•   Topology/connectivity
•   Power and signal lines
•   Link speeds/data rates
•   Basic SATA port model
•   Physical layer services
•   Clocking
•   Out-Of-Band Signaling
•   Internal Transmit Path
•   Internal Receive Path
•   Elasticity Buffer
•   Cable Signaling Interface

Power Management

•   Requirement for Power Management
•   Interface Power States
•   Power Management Primitives
•   COMWAKE Signal Sequence

State Model Description

•   State Description Method
•   Host and Device Transport States
•   State Description of Command Execution
•   Link Layers States

Advanced Topics

•   Device command layer protocol
•   Host adapter register interface
•   Error Handling Philosophy
•   First Party DMA
•   Future SATA Improvements
•   Layout Considerations
•   Device connector configurations
•   Cable construction example
•   Contact material and plating
•   SATA and SAS Evolution

Serial ATA II Extensions

•   Implementing SATA Technology
•   Serial ATA for RAID and Enterprise Applications
•   Serial ATA as the Long-term Solution for Storage Connectivity
•   SATA II objectives
•   Physical layer extensions
•   Transport layer extensions
•   Command layer extensions
•   Enclosure services and management
•   Port Multiplier

Testing and verification (hands-on)

•   The design of systems & devices
•   Practical Verification of Embedded Hardware and Software
•   Test and verification of Serial ATA semiconductors, devices
•   Systems Design verification systems
•   Serial ATA Analyzers
•   Serial ATA traffic capture, display and analysis
•   Collection of Serial ATA trace data
•   Hardware captures and displays Serial ATA traffic between host and device
•   Capture and decoding of the ATA protocol
•   Sync generation or cable testing.
•   Detect errors
•   Real Time Monitor
•   Compatibility Tester
•   Protocol Analyzer
•   Analyze protocol traffic and debug and test devices
•   Test Cases and Scenarios
•   Case Study 1,  Case Study 2
•   Lab 1,  Lab 2,  Lab 3