This message is from the T13 list server.
I just want to remind everyone that many drives still implement the old
9xH power management commands. These are alternative command codes for
the standard ExH power management command codes and perform the same
functions as the ExH command codes.
A few things about the old 9xH commands:
1) ATA/ATAPI-7 shows these command codes as 'retired' - that is OK - but
taking the next step of making them 'obsolete' and then assigning these
codes to some other new function could be a big problem.
2) I see that many drives that implement the 9xH command codes including
several very new SATA 2.5 inch drives.
3) Both the 9xH and ExH power management command codes are mandatory for
CFA ATA devices. As a minimum action on the part of T13, I would suggest
that the old 9xH power management command codes be marked as 'reserved
for CFA' (to prevent any problem with future reassignment of the codes
to some new function).
4) ATA/ATAPI-7 defines the Unload feature for the E1H IDLE IMMEDIATE
command... Here is a question for those of you making drives that
implement the old 9xH commands... If the drive supports the E1H IDLE
IMMEDIATE Unload feature should I expect the drive will also support the
Unload feature when the 95H IDLE IMMEDIATE command code is used?
Private or public responses welcome.
Hale
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++ Hale Landis ++ www.ata-atapi.com ++
