Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI)

[takman]

I am trying to understand what AHCI is...

Scouring the net, explanations seem all to vague...wiki, articles forums, etc

They say its a "hardware mechanism". What does it look like? A google image search brings back mostly BIOS screenshots.

Is it a piece of hardware or firmware...computer chip? is it built into SATA controllers?

 

[wazza300]

The Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) is a technical standard defined by Intel that specifies the operation of Serial ATA (SATA) host bus adapters in a non-implementation-specific manner.

The specification describes a system memory structure for computer hardware vendors to exchange data between host system memory and attached storage devices. AHCI gives software developers and hardware designers a standard method for detecting, configuring, and programming SATA/AHCI adapters. AHCI is separate from the SATA 3Gb/s standard, although it exposes SATA's advanced capabilities (such as hot swapping and native command queuing) such that host systems can utilize them.

from the net

 

[takman]

The Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) is a technical standard defined by Intel that specifies the operation of Serial ATA (SATA) host bus adapters in a non-implementation-specific manner.

The specification describes a system memory structure for computer hardware vendors to exchange data between host system memory and attached storage devices. AHCI gives software developers and hardware designers a standard method for detecting, configuring, and programming SATA/AHCI adapters. AHCI is separate from the SATA 3Gb/s standard, although it exposes SATA's advanced capabilities (such as hot swapping and native command queuing) such that host systems can utilize them.

from the net

i stated that i have read this already.

not helpful.

if you cant expand beyond that, then obviously you dont know.

 

[bledd]

It's basically the way the SATA controller communicates with the motherboard.

AHCI is the best to use if your PC can do it, it enables modern features of the SATA port which are required by SSDs and hard drives to get their best performance and the TRIM function.

It's a new standard set by Intel for SATA controllers, before this it was a bit of a mess, you often needed SATA drivers just to get Windows to install, with AHCI, all controllers can use this and the basic driver to install Windows.

 

[randal]

i stated that i have read this already.

not helpful.

if you cant expand beyond that, then obviously you dont know.

Well you're a happy little sparrow this morning aren't you. At no point in your OP have you mentioned that text, and that article doesn't contain "hardware mechanism" so wind your neck back in. Anyway, the Wikipedia article seems to do a pretty good job of explaining what it is.

It's not a chip insomuch as there's no physical representation or something to look at it like say a CPU, it's a unified standard or protocol used as bledd says as a means for a drive and a controler to communicate.

 

[bledd]

Well you're a happy little sparrow this morning aren't you.