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SSD mSATA designs are widely used in portable devices in which space is at a premium and standard SSDs will not fit. About the size of a business card, mSATA SSDs are small in size and have low power consumption. These features make them ideal for laptops, netbooks, tablets, and more. An SSD mSATA will feature the same speeds and other specifications you would expect from a SATA interface. Could SSD mSATA be the drive option you need? Here are the answers to some common questions that developers and OEMs ask about this kind of solid state drive.

How does mSATA differ from SATA?

There are very few differences between mSATA and SATA, other than the size. mSATA stands for miniSATA, and it is very literally a mini version of SATA. mSATA SSDs are designed with the features of the latest SATA revision, SATA III, and they have the same 6 Gb/s bandwidth. This kind of SATA was developed in response to the rising number of size-constrained devices. Full-sized SATA was too large to use in many smaller, portable applications, so mSATA was developed as an alternative for designers who wanted the benefits of SATA with a smaller footprint.

Where is mSATA used?

You can find mSATA SSDs in a wide range of applications. They are very common in portable computer devices, including laptops, tablets, and netbooks. They are also used in industrial applications, such as digital signs, and in point-of-sale devices. Multifunctional printers also commonly use mSATA SSDs. Generally, any small device which needs an SSD that is small in size and that features the same advantages as a full-sized SATA drive—including low power consumption, fast boot and shutdown speeds, and resistance to shock and vibration—could benefit from an SSD mSATA design.

How are mSATA SSDs used in industrial applications?

For industrial use, mSATA SSDs with SLC NAND flash are the typical choice. The single-level cell flash format, in which one bit of data is stored per cell, is considered to be the most reliable and has the longest lifespan. If your application will be used in harsh operating conditions, an SLC mSATA SSD could be the right option.

Delkin is here to help you explore options for data storage for your industrial application. For more information about SSD mSATA options, reach out to our team today.

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