[Arm-netbook] SATA and IDE memory-addressable ICs

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

On Mon, Apr 5, 2010 at 6:24 PM, Michelle Konzack
<linux4michelle at tamay-dogan.net> wrote:
>> could be done... but if going for PCI-e then might as well just have
>> that alone, and let people put in a micro PCI-e SSD rather than use
>> SATA.
>
> No, useing a microcontroller wir PCIe port included.

 ohh, yeh.  hmm... e.g. http://www.rdc.com.tw IAD-100HV or their next
version hmmm...

> The Maxim DS80C411 (75MHz) has enough speed and IO-Pins to support  even
> 2 PATA channels with up to 4 drives.  OK, not ATA6, but a software  raid
> could be implemented too...  inside the 8051 microcontroller.

 do you know what?  i think that'd be brilliant.

> This would be Hardware-Raid without cache memory.
>
> And of course, a very intersting project to work on.

 yehh :)

>> > CF-Cards are ATAPI compatibel...
>> yes.  i was surprised about that.
>
> :-)
>
>> > Maybethis woud work less expensive for us then looking for a dedicated
>> > SATA/ATAPI controller which are mostly rather expensive mean 7+ US$.
>>
>>  yes - and what is more, it would fit nicely with the principle of a
>> 100% free software machine: stuff the dedicated hardware, do it
>> yourself.
>
> The problem is HOW TO FIND very good 8051-ASM coders.

 ahh... i know someone who is good at assembly coding.  but a compiler
is good (even if sdcc) then you do just the bits that are reaallly
speed-critical.

> However, the specs are  open  and  here  is  already  someone  who  hast
> software implemened the SATA protocoll to attach a SATA 150 Drive  to  a
> microcontroller witthout using a NDA'ed SATA chip.

 really?? as free software?  where! where!