New and Notable Product Design 25557New and Notable Product Design 25557

DN Staff

December 13, 2004

3 Min Read
New and Notable Product Design

4-GBYTE. . .MICRODRIVE

Hitachi 3K4 digital media. The 4-Gbyte microdrive has four times more memory than its predecessor and is still just 42 x 36 x 5 mm in a 1-inch CompactFlash Type II format. The unit interfaces with compact Flash plus (CF+) and is Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) and PCMCIA-compatible. Hitachi engineers used in-house technologies of giant magnetoresistive (GMR) head technology, Enhanced Adaptive Battery Live Extender, and True Track servo to increase the capacity and ensure high reliability. The unit weighs just 16 gm, runs at 3,600 rpm, and provides a maximum sustained data rate of over 7 Mbyte/sec. For on-the-go applications, the unit withstands 200G at 2 msec of half sine wave shock, 0.67G (5-500 Hz) random vibration (RMS), and swept sine vibration of 1.0G peak. For more information on Hitachi's Microdrive 3K4 digital media hard disk drives, go tohttp://rbi.ims.ca/3860-541.

4-GByte MEMORY STICK

SanDisk Memory Stick PRO(TM). These new cards boast double the current maximum capacities to 4 Gbyte. To achieve this performance, engineers used a high-density 90-nm 4-Gbit NAND multilevel cell (MLC) Flash memory, combined with chip stacking technology and the latest-generation 32-bit controller. To maximize MLC performance and reduce the cost per megabyte, high-performance algorithms handle the high-capacity, high-speed data transfer, and provide built-in security. For more information on SanDisk's Memory Stick, go to http://rbi.ims.ca/3860-542.

4-GByte HARD DISK DRIVE (HDD)

Toshiba 0.85-inch HDD. The sub-1-inch form factor (32 x 24 x 5 mm) drive was certified early in 2004 as the smallest HDD by Guinness World Records. The 0.85-inch diameter drive can store 4 Gbyte, making it a suitable memory solution for wireless phone, digital camcorder, MP3, and other portable consumer electronic devices. Engineers used two data heads for the single platter running at 3,600 rpm to achieve this performance. The unit weighs less than 10 gm and can withstand an operating shock of 1,000G. For more information on Toshiba's 0.85-inch HDD, go to http://rbi.ims.ca/3860-543.

60-NM FLASH MEMORY

Samsung 60-nm 8-Gbit NAND Flash Memory. The semiconductor industry's first 60-nm 8-Gbyte NAND Flash memory device targets data storage for mobile appliances. The 60-nm process technology achieves approximately 30 percent reduction in cell size over the 70-nm 4-Gbyte NAND Flash memory developed in the previous year. Engineers used a 3D cell transistor structure and high-dielectric gate insulating technology that minimizes the interference level between cells. By taking advantage of the most widely used lithography technology, they reduced the cost per bit by 50 percent. As a result, the 8 Gbyte NAND Flash memory will allow up to 16 Gbyte of storage on a single memory card. For more information on Samsung's 60-nm Flash Memory, go to http://rbi.ims.ca/3860-545.

2-GByte USB FLASH MEMORY

Imation USB 2.0 Swivel Flash Drive. Miniature format thumb drives' plug-and-play capability allow users to drag and drop files and transfer data on any computer with a USB 1.1 or 2.0 port. Imation engineers have increased the Flash memory capacity up to 2 Gbyte and also offer 128 Mbyte, 256 Mbyte, 512 Mbyte, and 1 Gbyte in the same form factor. The ultra-fast USB 2.0 drive has a read speed of 8 Mbyte/sec and write speed of 7 Mbyte/sec. The Flash memory can perform up to 100,000 write cycles and has 10-year data retention. The package engineers even found a way to avoid losing the cover for the drive by making it swivel. For more information on Imation's USB 2-Gbyte Drive, go to http://rbi.ims.ca/3860-544.

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