Winchester Systems Reveals 3/4 ATR Removable Canister SSD Array

Winchester Systems Inc. announced FlashDisk RR1P Series 3/4 ATR form factor RAID disk arrays designed for use in airborne, marine and mobile ground data recorders.

The RR1P is a hardened, field-deployable storage unit that features a compact and lightweight removable canister holding 24 SSDs with up to 19.2TB of storage capacity and has been tested to meet these critical military standards for operation in harsh environments:

MIL-STD 810G vibration, temperature, altitude, rapid decompression, explosive atmosphere
MIL-STD-461F EMI
MIL-STD-704A aircraft power
RTCA-DO-160 humidity

Designed for demanding environments, the RR1P tolerates vibration though maximizing rigidity and damping characteristics of components and supporting structures, and the use of SSDs instead of HDDs.

RR1P meets critical SWaP and operational requirements:

Size and weight: The unit is housed in a short-depth, 3/4 ATR form factor only 12.5″ deep and weighs 26 pounds including the five-pound canister with twenty-four 1.8″ SSDs to 800GB each. The housing is made from lightweight milled, avionic-grade aluminum for strength and stability.
Power & cooling: Maximum power draw is 250W and 165W in typical operation. The unit is convection cooled with front-to-back airflow utilizing a high performance, low power, low noise cooling system.
Insertion cycles: The canister connector is military grade and supports 10,000 insertion cycles – enough for five years at five cycles per day.
RAID: The RR1P is a RAID system using a COTS RAID controller, supports all RAID modes and storage virtualization and is compliant with most OSs and hypervisors.
Front access: The unit connects to host servers using four 8GB FC ports plus Ethernet and RS-232 for management and a circular military connector for power from the front panel.
Performance: RR1P delivers 2,600MB/s reading and 2,200MB/s writing for speed data recording and playback.
FPGA support: RR1P integrates with FPGA hosts with FC ports that are often used in signal processing for Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) applications. This combination delivers the consistent high data throughput that enables Continuous Data Recording (CDR) demanded by ISR data streams driven by non-stop sensors, cameras and video feeds.
Mounting: RR1P fits standard 3/4 ATR tray mounting plate with quick-release J-hooks that lock the unit in place.

The front door of the RR1P protects the canister during normal operation with a removable dust filter and an EMI honeycomb filter. The door interlock mechanism gracefully shuts down the equipment when the door is opened. Four heavy duty thumbscrews secure the door closed to prevent the canister being ejected in the event of an accident to prevent Foreign Object Damage (FOD) and to protect personnel. Each canister includes an integral front handle that enables easy insertion and removal. The canister insertion is guided by milled aluminum slots on the canister that rides on a Delrin slide. The rear connector on the canister is guided into place using a series of guide pins for precise alignment and secure connector mating. This alignment system ensures high frequency signal integrity during critical operation in a harsh mobile environment.

“The RR1P lets military personnel take critical surveillance and instrument data and move it from a vehicle to a ground station in under two minutes” according Inese Lanka, director federal sales. “This unique and innovative canister system delivers up to 19.2TB of reliable, high performance transportable data in a compact, rugged and lightweight unit that meets stringent military standards and strict SWaP requirements for deployment in harsh mobile environments, This is a true advance in capability for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance missions.“

Prices for FlashDisk RR1P include a three-year factory warranty. It is a specialized product intended for military use and is made to order.