Smart Modular Introduces Embedded SATA SSD (2GB to 32GB)

SMART Modular Technologies announced its new Xceed iSATA embedded solid-state drive (SSD) to attendees yesterday at its analyst day event at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City. Featuring a four-channel 3Gb/s SATA-II module level interface which offers improved data transfer speed compared to other embedded storage solutions, the Xceed iSATA is the latest addition to its Xceed embedded Flash product line. This new RoHS-compliant drive is well suited for industrial-grade server, single board computers, storage cache/accelerators, networking, data communications, mobile and embedded computing, and medical, automotive, and industrial applications.

The new industrial-grade Xceed iSATA SSD is designed specifically for space-constrained embedded applications where traditional 1.8" and 2.5" hard disk drives (HDDs) and SSDs are too large. Measuring just 55.88mm x 30.48mm with a height of 11.38mm (non stacked NAND Flash components) or 12.01mm (stacked NAND Flash components), the iSATA SSD equates to an overall reduced footprint of 60% (1.8") and 75% (2.5"), all while offering significant advantages in power consumption and data throughput.

"The Xceed iSATA embedded SSD addresses the need for reliable operation in a small footprint," said Alan Gulachenski, Vice President of SMART’s Advanced Memory Solutions group. "We believe that this product supports our customers’ latest needs being driven by the evolution from legacy IDE/PATA interfaces to the SATA/SAS standard."

The Xceed iSATA SSD provides a performance and capacity enhancement over other embedded storage solutions, such as USB and CompactFlash. Featuring initial capacities ranging from 2 to 32GB, the Xceed iSATA SSD provides a four-channel Flash interface that enables the drive to offer sustained read performance of up to 86MB/s and sustained write performance of up to 55MB/s.

Similar to other products in the SMART Xceed SSD product line, the iSATA SSD uses single-level cell (SLC) NAND Flash technology, advanced on-board error detection and proven correction and static wear-leveling algorithms to offer high reliability. Reliability is further enhanced through the Xceed iSATA SSD’s support for Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) as well as improved shock and vibration performance.

The Xceed iSATA SSD is designed with an industry-standard 22-pin SATA connector, includes an indicator LED to show drive access, external LED activity signaling, and a health status monitor. Featuring zero seek time and noiseless operation, the Xceed iSATA SSD is easily integrated into a host system without special BIOS modifications or additional device drivers. Supplied by +5VDC, the drive demonstrates typical power consumption of 0.875W, which is considerably lower than traditional rotating media HDD solutions.

The SMART Xceed iSATA SSD is available now in production volumes.