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What is Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI)?
Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI): Here, we are going to learn about the ATAPI, history, introduction and attributes, advantages of using ATAPI, etc.
Submitted by Anushree Goswami, on January 12, 2021
ATAPI: Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface
ATAPI is an abbreviation of "Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface". It is an expansion of ATA for the maintenance of internal devices and through the connection with internal devices which comprise CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives, tape drives, magneto-optical drives, and large-capacity floppy drives such as the Zip drive and SuperDisk drive. ATAPI was an unusual standard from ATA, before the launch of ATA-4 or ATAPI-4.
It is the standard interface designed and created by Western Digital under the name of Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) interface and supported by the International Committee for Information Technology Standards, which is also known as the X3. ATAPI is a developed design of the ATA interface.
On the other hand, in 2003, additional progression and development in interface technology have launched the Serial ATA interface, which is an evolved step from ATAPI.
Introduction and attributes
- The introduction of ATAPI (ATA Packet Interface) by an association group called the Small Form Factor committee (SFF) enabled ATA to be used for a range of numerous other devices that need utilities further than those essential for hard disk drives.
- ATAPI is essentially a protocol enabling the ATA interface to perform SCSI commands and responses. The SCSI commands and responses are implanted in "packets" for conduction through transmission on the ATA cable. This enables any type of device category for which a SCSI command put has been described to be interfaced through ATA/ATAPI.
- ATAPI devices are also known as "speaking ATA", as the uses of ATA physical interface and protocol are still to transmit the packets through ATA cable. On the further side, ATA hard drives and solid-state drives do not make use of or employ ATAPI.
- ATAPI devices comprise CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drives, tape drives, and large-capacity floppy drives such as the Zip drive and SuperDisk drive.
- The SCSI commands and responses used by every category of ATAPI device like CD-ROM, tape, etc. are illustrated in further documents or designs particular to those device categories and are not contained by ATA/ATAPI or the T13 committee's purview.
- ATAPI was taken up as a component of ATA in INCITS 317-1998, AT Attachment with Packet Interface Extension (ATA/ATAPI-4).
Advantages of using ATAPI
- Read and write data much more rapidly than conventional hard disks.
- Permit system to boot up and introduce programs far more rapidly.
- Additional physically robust.
- Make use of less system power and produce less heat.
Reference: ATA Packet Interface
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