Mentor Graphics Updates Serial ATA Host and Device Controllers

 
When
combined with the Mentor SATA PHY IP solution, Mentor continues to
offer one of the smallest SATA footprints in the industry at less than
0.3 square millimeters per lane due to the utilization of I/O ring for
most of the analog circuitry in the PHY. This approach enables the
Mentor solution to be up to five times smaller than those offered by
most competitors.

“Responding to the maturing SATA market
needs, we updated our SATA controllers with the most popular advanced
features found in the latest SATA specification, to offer complete
functionality within a storage subsystem,” said Bill Martin, general
manager for the Intellectual Property Business Unit of Mentor Graphics.
“With this complete Mentor storage subsystem, designers can implement
SATA-based interfaces consuming less power and taking up smaller area
than other industry offerings, all pre-integrated from a single IP
vendor.”

Two significant features included in the SATA controller updates are Native Command Queuing and Asynchronous Notification.

In addition,
the host controller now includes support for 10-, 20-, or 40-bit
standard PHY interfaces. Consistent with Mentor’s strategy of offering
completely integrated and industry-tested IP solutions, these cores
were verified at the last SATA-IO Plugfest event and achieved
interoperability with all participating host and device vendors.

The
updated SATA Host/Device controllers are available for immediate
delivery.

Mentor
Graphics Corporation