Delkin Blog

Storage devices have changed dramatically in recent years, particularly with the transition from HDDs to SSDs. For OEMs and designers, this has led to many questions about which kind of storage is right for their devices, particularly when they need storage for an industrial grade application. HDDs are still used in many devices, but SATA SSDs have become more popular. What is the difference between SATA SSDs and HDDs, and why have SATA SSDs grown in popularity? Here is what you need to know.

SATA SSD

SSD stands for solid state drive. It refers to a storage device that uses flash memory to retain data. Flash memory is nonvolatile memory, which means that the device retains data even when there is no power. SATA is a type of interface that connects the SSD flash storage device to the CPU via SATA connectors. SATA is not the only kind of interface through which an SSD can connect to the CPU, but SATA SSDs are the most common option.

SSDs are available with multiple grades of flash memory. This includes SLC flash, or single-level cell flash, which is usually used in industrial applications. It is considered to be the fastest and most reliable, because it only stores one bit of data per cell. MLC flash, or multi-level cell flash, is found in many commercial products. It stores two bits of data per cell.

HDD

HDD stands for hard disk drive. HDDs do not use flash memory, but instead utilize a mechanical spinning disk on which data is written and read using a magnetic device. The disk has to spin for all read and write operations to occur. HDDs were once the most widely used kind of storage drive, but have been largely replaced by SSDs. HDDs can connect to CPUs using SATA interfaces as well. In fact, SATA was initially designed for HDDs.

SATA SSDs versus HDDs

There are a few reasons why the SATA SSD has become more popular than HDDs. One is that SSDs are faster than HDDs. SSDs are also more reliable than HDDs, because they do not have any moving parts. The disk in HDDs is prone to mechanical issues and can be particularly problematic in industrial operating environments in which high levels of shock and vibration are likely.

Delkin offers a variety of SATA SSD products and is available to assist you in selecting the right storage device for your needs. For more information, contact us today.

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