LSI Sampling 28nm SoC for Higher-Capacity HDDs

LSI Corporation is sampling the industry’s first 28nm system-on-a-chip (SoC) for the desktop and mobile HDD market segments.

The transition to 28nm SoC technology provides a way to increase the amount of data that can be stored on a hard drive by enabling higher areal density and yield through superior signal-to-noise ratio performance.

"The explosion of digital content driven by rich media such as high-definition video and photography is challenging HDD manufacturers to deliver higher-capacity, more energy-efficient drives," said Phil Brace, senior vice president and general manager, Storage Peripherals Division, LSI. "By being first to sample 28nm SoC technology, we’re offering HDD manufacturers a low-risk, time-to-market advantage in meeting next-generation HDD capacity points while staying within the power envelope."

An SoC is an integrated circuit that incorporates core components of an HDD electronic system into a single chip. LSI TrueStore SoCs are designed to simplify disk drive development, improve reliability and reduce power consumption while lowering drive costs for HDD manufacturers.

A critical piece of intelligence integrated into the new 28nm SoC is the TrueStore RC5100, a 28nm read channel featuring third-generation LSI low-density parity check (LDPC) iterative decoding architecture. The RC5100 builds upon the LDPC architecture of its 40nm predecessor to create a roadmap of areal density increases for HDD OEMs.

The TrueStore family of hard disk, solid-state disk and tape devices includes integrated SoCs, read channels, preamplifiers, serial PHYs and hard disk drive controller IP. By offering a portfolio of integrated SoC solutions, LSI enables its customers to address all segments of the storage market, from mission-critical enterprise applications and high-capacity desktop PCs to low-power laptops and tape archive solutions.

Read also:
LSI Demos 28nm Read Channel for HDDs
TrueStore RC5100 increased areal density with higher yield and lower power consumption