[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | Hard Disk Drives | Hard Disk Interfaces and Configuration | Integrated Drive Electronics / AT Attachment (IDE/ATA) Interface | Official IDE/ATA Standards and Feature Sets ]

Summary of IDE/ATA Standards

With the creation of several new ATA standards over the last few years, there are now quite a few of them "out there". The table below provides a quick summary of the different official IDE/ATA interfaces, showing their key attributes and features.

Note: Since the columns only show which modes and features were added in a given standard, the table should be viewed as cumulative. This means that all standards shown include all the modes and features of all prior standards as well. Standards are also backward-compatible with drives designed to earlier standards.

Next: Unofficial IDE/ATA Standards and Marketing Programs

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