Serial ATA: 
 
High Speed Serialized AT Attachment 
Revision 1.0a 
7-January-2003 
APT Technologies, Inc. 
Dell Computer Corporation 
Intel Corporation 
Maxtor Corporation 
Seagate Technology 
HIGH SPEED SERIALIZED AT ATTACHMENT   
SerialATA Workgroup 
 
This 1.0a revision of the Serial ATA / High Speed Serialized AT Attachment specification consists 
of the 1.0 revision of the specification with the following errata incorporated: 
Page: 1 
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 
30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 40 
The  following  errata  were  withdrawn  and  were  not  incorporated  into  this  revision  of  the 
specification: 
1, 27, 28 
Details on individual errata can be downloaded from the Serial ATA Working Group website at 
www.serialata.org. 
 
This 1.0a revision of the Serial ATA / High Speed Serialized AT Attachment specification (“Final 
Specification”)  is  available  for  product  design.    Product  implementations  should  ensure 
compliance with this specification. 
 
 
SPECIFICATION DISCLAIMER 
“AS 
IS  PROVIDED  TO  YOU 
IS”  WITH  NO  WARRANTIES 
THIS  SPECIFICATION 
WHATSOEVER, 
INCLUDING  ANY  WARRANTY  OF  MERCHANTABILITY,  NON-
INFRINGEMENT, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  THE AUTHORS OF THIS 
SPECIFICATION DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY, INCLUDING LIABILITY FOR INFRINGEMENT OF 
ANY PROPRIETARY RIGHTS, RELATING TO USE OR IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMATION 
IN THIS SPECIFICATION.  THE AUTHORS DO NOT WARRANT OR REPRESENT THAT SUCH 
USE WILL NOT INFRINGE SUCH RIGHTS.  THE PROVISION OF THIS SPECIFICATION TO 
YOU  DOES  NOT  PROVIDE  YOU  WITH  ANY  LICENSE,  EXPRESS  OR  IMPLIED,  BY 
ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. 
 
Copyright  2000,  2001,  2002,  2003,  APT  Technologies,  Inc.,  Dell  Computer  Corporation,  Intel 
Corporation, Maxtor Corporation, Seagate Technology LLC.  All rights reserved. 
 
For  more  information  about  Serial  ATA,  refer  to  the  Serial  ATA  Working  Group  website  at 
www.serialata.org. 
 
 
All  product  names  are  trademarks,  registered  trademarks,  or  servicemarks  of  their  respective 
owners. 
 
 
Serial ATA Workgroup Technical Editor: 
Klaus-Peter Deyring  
APT Technologies, Inc. 
1347 Pacific Avenue 
Suite 205 
Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA 
Tel:     831-429-7262  
Fax:    831-429-7272 
Email: pete@apt-tech.com  
 
HIGH SPEED SERIALIZED AT ATTACHMENT   
SerialATA Workgroup 
Serial ATA Workgroup 
Promoters 
   
Page: 2 
Klaus-Peter Deyring 
(831) 429-7262 
pete@apt-tech.com 
 
APT Technologies, Inc. 
1347 Pacific Avenue 
Suite 205 
Santa Cruz, CA 95060 
Tom Pratt 
(512) 723-8549 
tom_pratt@dell.com 
Dell Computer Corp. 
One Dell Way 
Round Rock, TX  78682 
Knut Grimsrud 
(503) 264-8419 
knut.s.grimsrud@intel.com 
 
Intel Corp. 
M/S  JF2-53 
2111 NE 25th Ave 
Hillsboro,  OR  97124 
Farbod Falakfarsa 
(408) 894-4066 
PTD Architecture Group 
500 McCarthy Blvd 
Milpitas, CA 95035 
Farbod.Falakfarsa@maxtor.com 
 
Marc Noblitt   
I/O Planning manager 
(720) 684-1333 phone 
(720) 684-1031 fax 
marc_noblitt@seagate.com 
Seagate Technology 
389  Disc Drive 
Longmont, CO  80503 
HIGH SPEED SERIALIZED AT ATTACHMENT   
SerialATA Workgroup 
 
Page: 3 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
1 
Scope..................................................................................................................................... 11 
2  Goals, objectives and migration considerations.................................................................... 11 
Goals and objectives ..................................................................................................... 11 
2.1 
2.2  Migration Considerations............................................................................................... 12 
3  Normative references ............................................................................................................ 13 
3.1 
Approved references ..................................................................................................... 13 
Other references............................................................................................................ 13 
3.2 
4  Definitions, abbreviations, and conventions .......................................................................... 13 
Definitions and abbreviations ........................................................................................ 13 
4.1 
ATA (AT Attachment)............................................................................................. 13 
4.1.1 
ATAPI (AT Attachment Packet Interface) device .................................................. 13 
4.1.2 
backchannel........................................................................................................... 14 
4.1.3 
bit synchronization................................................................................................. 14 
4.1.4 
byte ........................................................................................................................ 14 
4.1.5 
character................................................................................................................ 14 
4.1.6 
character alignment ............................................................................................... 14 
4.1.7 
character slipping................................................................................................... 14 
4.1.8 
code violation......................................................................................................... 14 
4.1.9 
comma character................................................................................................... 14 
4.1.10 
comma sequence .................................................................................................. 14 
4.1.11 
command aborted.................................................................................................. 15 
4.1.12 
4.1.13 
command completion............................................................................................. 15 
command packet ................................................................................................... 15 
4.1.14 
4.1.15  Control Block registers........................................................................................... 15 
4.1.16 
control character.................................................................................................... 15 
control variable ...................................................................................................... 15 
4.1.17 
4.1.18  CRC ....................................................................................................................... 15 
4.1.19 
data character........................................................................................................ 15 
4.1.20 
device..................................................................................................................... 15 
4.1.21  DMA (direct memory access) ................................................................................ 15 
4.1.22  Dword..................................................................................................................... 16 
4.1.23  Dword synchronization .......................................................................................... 16 
4.1.24 
encoded character................................................................................................. 16 
elasticity buffer....................................................................................................... 16 
4.1.25 
First-party DMA access ......................................................................................... 16 
4.1.26 
4.1.27 
First-party DMA mode............................................................................................ 16 
4.1.28 
FIS ......................................................................................................................... 16 
Frame Information Structure.................................................................................. 16 
4.1.29 
frame...................................................................................................................... 16 
4.1.30 
4.1.31 
interrupt pending.................................................................................................... 17 
4.1.32 
legacy device ......................................................................................................... 17 
4.1.33 
legacy mode .......................................................................................................... 17 
4.1.34 
legal character ....................................................................................................... 17 
LFSR...................................................................................................................... 17 
4.1.35 
4.1.36  PIO (programmed input/output)............................................................................. 17 
4.1.37 
primitive.................................................................................................................. 17 
sector ..................................................................................................................... 17 
4.1.38 
4.1.39  Shadow Register Block registers........................................................................... 17 
4.1.40 
unrecoverable error ............................................................................................... 17 
4.1.41  word ....................................................................................................................... 17 
Conventions................................................................................................................... 18 
Precedence............................................................................................................ 18 
4.2.1 
Keywords ............................................................................................................... 18 
4.2.2 
4.2 
HIGH SPEED SERIALIZED AT ATTACHMENT   
SerialATA Workgroup 
Page: 4 
6 
5.1 
5.2 
6.1 
6.2 
6.3 
4.2.3 
4.2.4 
4.2.5 
4.2.6 
4.2.7 
4.2.8 
Numbering ............................................................................................................. 19 
Signal conventions................................................................................................. 19 
Bit conventions ...................................................................................................... 19 
State diagram conventions .................................................................................... 20 
Timing conventions................................................................................................ 21 
Byte, word and Dword Relationships..................................................................... 22 
5  General overview................................................................................................................... 23 
Sub-module operation ................................................................................................... 25 
Standard ATA Emulation ............................................................................................... 26 
Software Reset ...................................................................................................... 26 
5.2.1 
Master-only emulation ........................................................................................... 26 
5.2.2 
Master/Slave emulation (optional)......................................................................... 27 
5.2.3 
Standard ATA interoperability state diagrams....................................................... 29 
5.2.4 
IDENTIFY DEVICE command ............................................................................... 33 
5.2.5 
Physical layer......................................................................................................................... 36 
Overview........................................................................................................................ 36 
List of services............................................................................................................... 36 
Cables and connectors specifications ........................................................................... 37 
6.3.1 
Overview................................................................................................................ 37 
6.3.2 
Objectives .............................................................................................................. 37 
6.3.3 
General descriptions.............................................................................................. 37 
6.3.4 
Connector configurations and locations ................................................................ 40 
6.3.5 
Mating interfaces ................................................................................................... 43 
6.3.6 
Serial ATA cable.................................................................................................... 56 
6.3.7 
Backplane connector configuration and blind-mating tolerance............................ 56 
6.3.8 
Connector labeling................................................................................................. 57 
6.3.9 
Connector and cable assembly requirements and test procedures ...................... 57 
Low level electronics block diagram.............................................................................. 68 
6.4.1 
Diagram ................................................................................................................. 68 
6.4.2 
Physical plant overall block diagram description................................................... 69 
6.4.3 
Analog front end (AFE) block diagram description................................................ 72 
6.5 
General specifications ................................................................................................... 73 
6.5.1 
System................................................................................................................... 73 
6.6  Module specifications .................................................................................................... 74 
6.6.1 
Definitions .............................................................................................................. 74 
6.6.2 
Electrical specifications.......................................................................................... 74 
6.6.3 
Differential voltage/timing  (EYE) diagram............................................................. 78 
6.6.4 
Sampling jitter specifications ................................................................................. 79 
Functional specifications................................................................................................ 86 
6.7.1 
Overview................................................................................................................ 86 
6.7.2 
Common-mode biasing.......................................................................................... 86 
6.7.3 
Matching ................................................................................................................ 88 
6.7.4 
Out of band signaling............................................................................................. 88 
6.7.5 
Idle bus condition................................................................................................... 97 
6.7.6 
Elasticity buffer management ................................................................................ 97 
Test considerations................................................................................................ 98 
6.7.7 
Interface power states ................................................................................................. 117 
6.8.1 
Interface power state sequences......................................................................... 118 
Link layer ............................................................................................................................. 129 
Overview.............................................................................................................. 129 
7.1.1 
Encoding method......................................................................................................... 129 
7.2.1 
Notation and conventions .................................................................................... 129 
Character code .................................................................................................... 131 
7.2.2 
Transmission summary........................................................................................ 139 
7.2.3 
7.2.4 
Reception summary............................................................................................. 141 
Transmission overview ................................................................................................ 142 
7 
6.8 
7.2 
6.4 
6.7 
7.3 
 
HIGH SPEED SERIALIZED AT ATTACHMENT   
SerialATA Workgroup 
Page: 5 
7.4 
7.5 
7.6 
8.1 
8.2 
8.3 
8.4 
8.5 
Primitives ..................................................................................................................... 145 
Overview.............................................................................................................. 145 
7.4.1 
Primitive descriptions........................................................................................... 145 
7.4.2 
Primitive encoding ............................................................................................... 148 
7.4.3 
Abort primitive...................................................................................................... 148 
7.4.4 
Continue primitive................................................................................................ 149 
7.4.5 
ALIGN primitive.................................................................................................... 152 
7.4.6 
Flow control signaling latency.............................................................................. 152 
7.4.7 
Examples ............................................................................................................. 156 
7.4.8 
CRC calculation and scrambling of FIS contents ........................................................ 159 
7.5.1 
CRC ..................................................................................................................... 159 
Link layer state diagrams............................................................................................. 161 
Transport layer..................................................................................................................... 184 
Transport layer overview ............................................................................................. 184 
FIS construction................................................................................................... 184 
8.1.1 
FIS decomposition............................................................................................... 184 
8.1.2 
Frame Information Structure ( FIS).............................................................................. 184 
Overview...................................................................................................................... 184 
Payload content........................................................................................................... 185 
FIS types...................................................................................................................... 185 
All FIS types......................................................................................................... 185 
8.5.1 
Register - Host to Device..................................................................................... 186 
8.5.2 
Register - Device to Host..................................................................................... 188 
8.5.3 
Set Device Bits - Device to Host.......................................................................... 190 
8.5.4 
DMA Activate - Device to Host ............................................................................ 191 
8.5.5 
DMA Setup – Device to Host or Host to Device (Bidirectional)........................... 192 
8.5.6 
BIST Activate - Bidirectional ................................................................................ 194 
8.5.7 
PIO Setup – Device to Host................................................................................. 197 
8.5.8 
Data - Host to Device or Device to Host (Bidirectional)....................................... 199 
8.5.9 
Host transport states.................................................................................................... 201 
Host transport idle state diagram......................................................................... 201 
8.6.1 
Host Transport transmit command FIS diagram.................................................. 204 
8.6.2 
8.6.3 
Host Transport transmit control FIS diagram....................................................... 206 
8.6.4 
Host Transport transmit First-party DMA Setup – Device to Host or Host to Device 
FIS state diagram ................................................................................................................ 207 
8.6.5 
Host Transport transmit BIST Activate FIS.......................................................... 209 
Host Transport decompose Register FIS diagram .............................................. 210 
8.6.6 
Host Transport decompose a Set Device Bits FIS state diagram ....................... 211 
8.6.7 
8.6.8 
Host Transport decompose a DMA Activate FIS diagram................................... 212 
8.6.9 
Host Transport decompose a PIO Setup FIS state diagram............................... 215 
8.6.10  Host Transport decompose a First-party DMA Setup FIS state diagram............ 219 
8.6.11  Host transport decompose a BIST Activate FIS state diagram........................... 220 
Device transport states................................................................................................ 221 
8.7.1 
Device transport idle state diagram..................................................................... 221 
Device Transport send Register – Device to Host state diagram ....................... 223 
8.7.2 
Device Transport send Set Device Bits FIS state diagram ................................. 224 
8.7.3 
8.7.4 
Device Transport transmit PIO Setup – Device to Host FIS state diagram......... 225 
Device Transport transmit Legacy DMA Activate FIS state diagram .................. 226 
8.7.5 
8.7.6 
Device  Transport  transmit  First-party  DMA  Setup  –  Device  to  Host  FIS  state 
diagram  227 
Device Transport transmit Data – Device to Host FIS diagram........................... 228 
8.7.7 
Device Transport transmit BIST Activate  FIS diagram....................................... 230 
8.7.8 
Device Transport decompose Register – Host to Device state diagram............. 231 
8.7.9 
8.7.10  Device Transport decompose Data (Host to Device) FIS state diagram ............ 232 
8.7.11  Device Transport decompose DMA Setup – Host to Device or Device to Host state 
diagram  234 
8.6 
8.7 
8 
 
HIGH SPEED SERIALIZED AT ATTACHMENT   
SerialATA Workgroup 
Page: 6 
10 
11 
8.7.12  Device Transport decompose a BIST Activate FIS state diagram ...................... 234 
9  Device command layer protocol .......................................................................................... 236 
Power-on and COMRESET protocol diagram............................................................. 236 
9.1 
Device Idle protocol ..................................................................................................... 238 
9.2 
Software reset protocol................................................................................................ 243 
9.3 
EXECUTE DEVICE DIAGNOSTIC command protocol............................................... 245 
9.4 
DEVICE RESET command protocol............................................................................ 247 
9.5 
Non-data command protocol ....................................................................................... 248 
9.6 
PIO data-in command protocol.................................................................................... 250 
9.7 
PIO data-out command protocol.................................................................................. 252 
9.8 
9.9 
DMA data in command protocol .................................................................................. 253 
9.10  DMA data out command protocol................................................................................ 254 
9.11  PACKET protocol......................................................................................................... 256 
9.12  READ DMA QUEUED command protocol................................................................... 261 
9.13  WRITE DMA QUEUED command protocol................................................................. 263 
Host adapter register interface ........................................................................................ 266 
10.1  SStatus, SError and SControl registers....................................................................... 267 
10.1.1  SStatus register ................................................................................................... 268 
10.1.2  SError register ..................................................................................................... 269 
10.1.3  SControl register.................................................................................................. 271 
Error handling .................................................................................................................. 272 
11.1  Architecture.................................................................................................................. 272 
11.2  Phy error handling overview ........................................................................................ 273 
11.2.1  Error detection ..................................................................................................... 273 
11.2.2  Error control actions............................................................................................. 274 
11.2.3  Error reporting...................................................................................................... 275 
11.3  Link error handling overview........................................................................................ 275 
11.3.1  Error detection ..................................................................................................... 275 
11.3.2  Error control actions............................................................................................. 275 
11.3.3  Error reporting...................................................................................................... 276 
11.4  Transport error handling overview............................................................................... 276 
11.4.1  Error detection ..................................................................................................... 277 
11.4.2  Error control actions............................................................................................. 277 
11.4.3  Error reporting...................................................................................................... 278 
11.5  Software error handling overview................................................................................ 279 
11.5.1  Error detection ..................................................................................................... 279 
11.5.2  Error control actions............................................................................................. 279 
Appendix A.  Sample Code for CRC and Scrambling............................................................... 282 
CRC calculation........................................................................................................... 282 
Overview.............................................................................................................. 282 
Maximum frame size............................................................................................ 282 
Example code for CRC algorithm ........................................................................ 282 
Example code for CRC algorithm ........................................................................ 282 
Example CRC implementation output ................................................................. 284 
Scrambling calculation................................................................................................. 285 
Overview.............................................................................................................. 285 
Example code for scrambling algorithm .............................................................. 285 
Example scrambler implementation .................................................................... 285 
Example scrambler implementation output ......................................................... 288 
Example frame............................................................................................................. 289 
Appendix B.  Type field value selection .................................................................................... 290 
Type field values.......................................................................................................... 290 
Appendix C. 
Further information about cable and connector............................................... 292 
C.1  Device connector configurations ............................................................................ 292 
C.1.1  Configuration 35A1........................................................................................... 292 
C.1.2  Configuration 35B1........................................................................................... 292 
A.1.1 
A.1.2 
A.1.3 
A.1.4 
A.1.5 
A.2.1 
A.2.2 
A.2.3 
A.2.4 
A.3 
B.1 
A.1 
A.2 
 
HIGH SPEED SERIALIZED AT ATTACHMENT   
SerialATA Workgroup 
Page: 7 
Appendix D. 
Configuration 35B2........................................................................................................... 292 
C.1.3  Configuration 35B3........................................................................................... 293 
C.1.4  Configuration 35B4........................................................................................... 293 
C.1.5  Configuration 35B5........................................................................................... 293 
C.1.6  Configuration 35C1........................................................................................... 294 
C.1.7  Configuration 25A1........................................................................................... 294 
C.2  Cable construction example.................................................................................... 294 
C.3  Contact material and plating ................................................................................... 295 
Command processing overview ...................................................................... 297 
D.1  Non-data commands ................................................................................................... 297 
Legacy DMA read by host from device................................................................ 298 
D.1.1 
Legacy DMA write by host to device ................................................................... 298 
D.1.2 
PIO data read from the device............................................................................. 299 
D.1.3 
PIO data write to the device ................................................................................ 299 
D.1.4 
Queued DMA read from device ........................................................................... 301 
D.1.5 
Queued DMA write to device............................................................................... 301 
D.1.6 
ATAPI Packet commands with PIO data in ......................................................... 302 
D.1.7 
ATAPI Packet commands with PIO data out....................................................... 303 
D.1.8 
D.1.9 
ATAPI Packet commands with DMA data in ....................................................... 304 
D.1.10  ATAPI Packet commands with DMA data out ..................................................... 305 
D.1.11  First-party DMA read of host memory by device ................................................. 305 
D.1.12  First-party DMA write of host memory by device................................................. 307 
D.1.13  Odd word count considerations ........................................................................... 307 
Legacy DMA read from target for odd word count .......................................... 308 
D.1.13.1 
D.1.13.2 
Legacy DMA write by host to target for odd word count.................................. 308 
D.1.13.3 
PIO data read from the device......................................................................... 309 
D.1.13.4 
PIO data write to the device............................................................................. 309 
First-party DMA read of host memory by device ............................................. 310 
D.1.13.5 
D.1.13.6 
First-party DMA write of host memory by device............................................. 310