Login
Register
Exploring the Basics of SATA Flash
SATA is the most widely used interface for solid state drives, or SSDs, today. It supports the use of flash memory, which offers much higher operating speeds than HDDs, or hard disk drives. HDDs have increasingly fallen out of favor in recent years, thanks to the increased capacities and improved processing speeds of SSDs, and SATA interfaces have made these transitions possible. SATA flash drives can be found in a huge variety of both consumer and industrial grade products. Continual improvements to the SATA interface over the years to keep up with increased data storage needs have allowed it to remain a prominent choice for many devices.
SATA 101
Serial ATA, or SATA, is the interface through which devices are connected to the motherboard in a huge number of products. The SATA interface has a port on the drive and another on the board to create a bridge between the two. Each SATA has a data connector and power connector. These connectors each do a different job within the interface. The data connector and attached cable transfer information back and forth between the device and the rest of the system. The power cable provides the drive with the electrical power it needs to perform applications, and allows for high mSATA speed.
When SATA was introduced, it was intended as a replacement for the PATA interface, which used ribbon cables that had become outdated. The first version of SATA was introduced in 2000, and since then, there have been multiple revisions. SATA III is the most recent version. mSATA, which is ideal for applications in need of a smaller SATA interface, was introduced to the market in 2011.
SATA in SSDs
At one point in time, the SATA interface could be found in 99% of drives. Today, there are more options, but SATA is still an incredibly popular and efficient interface. SATA III offers data transfer rates of 600MB/s, which is ideal for large SSDs in particular.
SATA and mSATA are available in industrial and consumer grade formats. SATA with SLC NAND flash technology is most widely used in industrial applications.
For more information about SATA flash and using the interface in your industrial application, contact Delkin. Our team can discuss the different rugged embedded storage products we offer and how they can be customized for your design.
