Hitachi hard disk drive specifications 
106 
10.4   DMA Data In commands and DMA Data Out commands 
These commands are: 
  Read DMA 
  Read DMA Ext 
  Read Stream DMA 
  Write DMA 
  Write DMA Ext 
  Write DMA FUA Ext 
  Write Stream DMA 
 
Execution of this class of command includes the transfer of one or more blocks of data between the device and 
the host using DMA transfer. 
 
10.5   First-party DMA commands 
These commands are: 
  Read FPDMA Queued 
  Write FPDMA Queued 
 
Execution of this class of commands includes command queuing and the transfer of one or more blocks of data 
between the device and the host. The protocol is described in the section 4.2 “Native Command Queuing” of 
“Serial ATA II: Extensions to Serial ATA 1.0a”. 
Host knowledge of I/O priority may be transmitted to the device as part of the command. There are two priority 
classes for NCQ command as high priority, the host is requesting a better quality of service for that command 
than the commands issued with normal priority. 
The classes are forms of soft priority. The device may choose to complete a normal priority command before an 
outstanding  high  priority  command,  although  preference  shallbe  given  to  the  high  priority  commands.  The 
priority class is indicated in bit 7 (Priority Information) in the Sector Count register for NCQ commands (READ 
FPDMA QUEUED and WRITE FPDMA QUEUED). This bit can indicate either the normal priority or high priority 
class. If a command is marked by the host as high priority, the device shall attempt to provide better quality of 
service  for  the command. It  is  not  required  that  devices  process  all high  priority requests  before  satisfying 
normal priority requests.