Seagate sound barrier technology muffles the desktop

Seagate Technology has unveiled its "sound barrier technology" (SBT), a set of features that optimises disc drives for quiet operation. SBT includes a silent seek mode that can be configured during manufacturing or enabled by a user. Now, the PC or other host can tell a disc drive to perform in quiet mode for home entertainment applications, or to deliver faster seeks for business applications where data must be gathered quickly from various sectors on the disc drive.

According to Martin Vine, senior sales manager for Seagate in SA, this technology allows PC makers, system integrators and even end users to select acoustics and performance profiles. "This can be done on the fly and for a wide range of diverse applications, from audio/video programming on television set-top boxes and other home entertainment devices, to high-performance data intensive business applications. Silent seek mode can be controlled through tools using the new standard ATA specification called Automatic Acoustic Management (AAM). Silent seek mode and support for AAM will be standard on all new Seagate personal storage products, including the U Series 5, the world`s quietest hard drive for mainstream desktop computers and Personal Video Recorders," he says.

SBT includes many other features that are implemented on today`s Seagate personal storage devices. SeaShield drive covers and designed-in dampers provide noise reduction for both idle and seek modes. Resonance reduction and other testing and modelling techniques have resulted in mechanical design optimisations which reduce drive idle and seek noise emissions. Just-in-Time seeks, which reduce acoustics and power consumption during many seeks, are implemented on today`s U10 drives.

Investments in Fluid Dynamic Bearing spindle motors, isolator mounting systems, and chassis designs with our strategic customers have all resulted in quieter systems, both for today and in the future. Now, SBT lets Seagate`s OEM customers or end users control technology that is resident on Seagate disc drives, including adaptable seeking algorithms and intelligence, to reduce the noise a drive makes while reading and writing information.

"Seagate has invested heavily for many years in research and development in a wide variety of acoustic technologies and methods," says Vine. "With `sound barrier technology`, a single Seagate disc drive now provides the speed that`s necessary for today`s business applications with the option of a quiet drive mode for exciting entertainment applications - without the overall performance loss of modifications like reduced spindle speeds."

"Compaq welcomes Seagate`s `sound barrier technology` support for AAM and silent seeks," said Keith LeFebvre, Director, Commercial Desktop and Workstation Product Marketing Compaq. "Seagate`s SBT helps Compaq bring the total acoustics emitted by PC systems down to imperceptible levels, while still affording the performance our customers expect from their business applications. Seagate drives with SBT acoustic controls will be incorporated into Compaq`s upcoming commercial products."

"Seagate`s `sound barrier technology` advances storage technology as it moves into new markets such as consumer electronics," said John Donovan, Vice President at TRENDFOCUS, a Palo Alto-based market intelligence firm. "By making these acoustic features available in the personal data storage market, Seagate continues its long history as a leader in disc drive technology and provides consumer-friendly storage technology on a much broader scale."

Seagate`s SBT technology provides a variety of features and options to reduce acoustic emissions, supplementing the performance, robustness, and cost benefits that customers have come to expect from Seagate personal storage products.