Fusion Pocketable M.2 PCIe SSD Module by Sonnet

Sonnet Technologies Inc. announced the Fusion PCIe Flash Drive, a rugged, pocket-size SSD device with 256GB or 512GB storage capacity – and the newest member of Sonnet’s growing family of Thunderbolt 2 technology products.

The flash drive serves as a fast alternative to USB thumb drives and portable SATA-based HDD drive and SSD storage products, and it connects to a compatible Mac or Windows computer, or at the end of a Thunderbolt device daisy chain, via an attached 0.5-meter Thunderbolt cable.

Sonnet designed the Fusion PCIe Flash Drive around the M.2 PCIe SSD module, which is the fastest standard SSD type now available, and a 20Gb/s Thunderbolt 2 interface that provides the bandwidth necessary for the device to sustain high file transfer speeds – fast enough to support 4K workflows.

Capable of transferring files at over 1,200 MB/s, the PCIe Flash Drive’s SSD module incorporates a PCIe Gen 3 flash controller, enabling the device to outperform 6Gb SATA SSDs and USB 3.0 flash drives.
 
Measuring 1.75 inches wide by 4 inches deep by 0.8 inches tall and small enough to fit in a user’s pocket, the drive’s rugged enclosure is crafted out of aluminum, which transfers heat from the SSD and allowed Sonnet to design the device without a fan to enable silent operation. The power-efficient design also enabled the device to be bus-powered and require no power adapter.

“The Fusion PCIe Flash Drive leverages the latest advancements in PCIe SSD design and Thunderbolt 2 technology, enabling Sonnet to offer a storage device that fits neatly in the palm of your hand yet delivers the blazing-fast performance of a multi-drive RAID storage system many times its size,” said Robert Farnsworth, Sonnet CEO. “We think this will become an indispensable accessory for the creative professional.”

The drive was designed for anybody requiring high-speed storage capabilities, and it is suited to serve as an fast shuttle drive or a take-anywhere drive for editing 4K video at offsite shoots.

OS X users may install the OS on the Sonnet device to create a fast boot drive, while OS X and Windows users can use the Fusion PCIe Flash Drive for instant-access media storage or as a high-performance scratch disk.

The drive was designed and built by Sonnet in California.

Compatible with OS X 10.8.5+ (including Yosemite), Windows 8 and 7, and Windows Server 2012 and 2008, the Fusion PCIe Flash Drive will be demonstrated at the 2015 NAB Show.

Sonnet expects to make the new drive available in June 2015 at an MSRP of $499 for 256GB and $799 for 512GB.