Transcend Unveils High-Performance SATA Module

Transcend has just announced its newest high-speed SATA flash module, especially tailored for integration in thin clients, blade servers, ultra-compact sub-notebooks and industrial installations where miniaturization is a critical aspect.

Transcend's newest SATA flash module is able to deliver enhanced system performance and speed in a minimalistic package by using non-volatile solid-state memory. According to the company, the rugged flash modules can also be used in harsh environments, such as industrial systems with high levels of vibration and humidity, including embedded systems, medical instruments, factory automation systems and network infrastructures.

Transcend's SATA flash module is not only smaller than the average 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA hard disk drives, but it is also using less electrical power, while offering longer data retention durability and tremendously improved access speeds with zero spin-up or seek time. The modules also sport built-in error correction code (ECC) and an advanced wear leveling algorithm to spread the data across all the drive's NAND flash cells.

According to Transcend, the company uses only single-level-cell (SLC) NAND flash chips in its SATA flash modules, to maximize the storage medium's lifespan and get the fastest read/write speeds on the market.

The new SATA flash module will hit the market in capacities of 1GB and 2GB in both vertical (male SATA data and power connectors) and horizontal (female SATA connector with mini 2-pin power and mechanical write-protection switch) models.

The low-profile device connects to the motherboard directly, which saves both space and cable clutter in the host system. It is fully compatible with the SATA-based devices and operating systems, with Ultra DMA Mode 4 support and data transfer rates of up to 1.5 Gb/s.

There is no word on pricing or market availability as of the moment of writing.