TDK Launches 2.5-Inch SATA SLC Flash drives

TDK Corporation has developed the GBDisk RS1 series of serial ATA (SATA) compatible industrial silicon disks with a maximum memory capacity of 16 GByte. Production will begin in June 2008.

TDK currently produces the GBDisk RA series of parallel ATA compatible industrial silicon disks. The development and market launch of the GBDisk RS1 series of SATA compatible silicon disks will accelerate the use of silicon disks in industrial and embedded applications.

The GBDisk RS1 includes single level cell (SLC) NAND Flash memory, which is ideal for high-speed and frequent data writing, as well as the GBDriver RS1 SATA controller developed by TDK for use in NAND Flash memory controller ICs, which are essential for maintaining data reliability. The high reliability necessary for use of NAND storage devices in industrial and embedded applications is ensured through complete power interruption tolerance, error correction, distributed data writing, and bad block management. The addition of superior support performed by field application engineers achieves a SATA disk with the industry’s highest levels of reliability.

The disks are 2.5 inches, the same size as a hard disk drive (HDD). The product lineup, which has storage capacities up to 16 GByte, is ideal for use in industrial equipment where use of HDDs is problematic in many applications because of the need for particularly fast start up, stringent shock resistance, and low power consumption.

In addition, the GBDisk RS1 series has been certified by Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). Driver updates, for example, can be performed through Windows Update.

Main Applications
The GBDisk RS1 is intended for general industrial equipment and embedded equipment, particularly for storage of operating systems, file systems, and user data on a thin client PCs, ATMs and other financial terminals, digital signage, train station service equipment, MFPs, POS devices, NC machine tools, plant control systems, and automated transport systems.

Main Features

• Host Interface: SATA I 1.5 Gbps compatible.
• Single Level Cell (SLC) NAND Flash Memory: Single level cell Flash memory is incorporated, making the disks are suitable for industrial applications that require high-speed and frequent data writing.
• Enhanced Reliability Control through Incorporation of the GBDriver RS1 NAND Flash Memory Controller Developed by TDK: The disks include the GBDriver RS1 controller developed by TDK. This controller secures expanded spare space for future bad blocks in the NAND memory, has improved block control structures within the controller, and is equipped with an address control mechanism structure that can be used even when a large number of inherent bad blocks or other problems occur in the memory in a short period.
• Improved Power Interruption Tolerance: The GBDisk RS1 completely prevents collateral errors that result in corruption of data other than the data being written if power is interrupted when writing data.
• Error Correction and Recovery: The GBDisk RS1 is equipped with 8 bit/sector ECC. It has adequate ECC capabilities for the 1 bit/sector ECC requirements of single level cell NAND Flash memory controller. An auto-recovery function has also been added to correct bit errors automatically when reading data repeatedly (read-disturbance errors).

Other Functions

• Total cluster number-setting function (clipping function): The number of times that data can be written to a flash memory chip can be increased by reducing the number of physical allocation blocks in the data area.
• Protection Function: Incorporation of an ATA-standard protection function allows customers to set and remove a password to protect important data.
• Smart Command Support: Usage status and bad block status are easily managed on Flash memory chips by using Smart Command.

Customer Support
TDK has independently developed and marketed the GBDriver series of NAND Flash memory controllers since 2000 and provides technical support to customers in Japan and overseas backed up by its advanced technologies including dispatch of field application engineers and implementation of reliability monitoring functions, for which there is strong demand in the embedded system market.

Production and Sales Plan

• Production location : Japan
• Production capacity : 10,000 units/month
• Start of production : June 2008