SiliconSystems Announces SiliconDrive USB Blade, the Industry's First Ultra-Small Solid-State Drive for Embedded Storage Applications

New SiliconDrive USB Blade Combines Advanced Storage Technology in a Rugged

Postage-Stamp Sized Form Factor for the Ultimate in Design Flexibility and

Performance

    ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- SiliconSystems, Inc., a
 world leader in advanced storage technology, today announced its new
 SiliconDrive USB Blade solid-state storage product. SiliconDrive USB Blade
 is a breakthrough storage solution in an environmentally-rugged and
 ultra-small form factor, providing improved storage design flexibility in
 applications where board space and performance are critical design
 considerations. With an innovative industry-first form factor, SiliconDrive
 USB Blade is based on SiliconSystems' next-generation storage technology
 platform which includes advanced versions of the company's patented
 PowerArmor, SiSMART and SiliconDrive Secure technologies that deliver the
 high performance, high reliability and multi-year product lifecycles
 embedded storage applications demand.
     The USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface is considered by many to be
 the most successful interconnect in history for its fast, efficient and
 easy-to-use operation. As embedded system designs are migrating to faster
 host system interfaces, OEM system architects are realizing the USB
 interface is a highly viable and cost effective solution with advantages
 including easy installation, differential signaling, BIOS bootability and
 data integrity checking. Historically, many OEM designers have dismissed
 USB-based storage solutions because they associated the entire product
 category with the retail-grade thumb drive form factor which does not meet
 the rigorous requirements of embedded system applications. With the
 introduction of SiliconDrive USB Blade, OEMs now have a superior USB-based
 advanced storage solution that meets their next-generation application
 requirements.
     "SiliconSystems is deeply committed to continuous innovation and to
 solving critical storage industry challenges," said Gary Drossel, vice
 president of product planning at SiliconSystems. "A major challenge for our
 Enterprise System OEM customers, in applications such as industrial
 automation and robotics, was how to quickly and easily migrate to a
 USB-based small form factor storage solution that could meet their board
 space, performance, reliability and product life design requirements.
 SiliconDrive USB Blade is the answer to that challenge."
     SiliconDrive USB Blade is ideally suited for space-constrained designs
 and as a boot drive, for operating system storage or in event and data
 logging applications. Dedicated to solving the needs of next-generation USB
 embedded systems, SiliconSystems collaborated with Samtec, Inc., a leading
 designer and manufacturer of rugged connectors, to develop a space-saving
 and secure latching connector solution for the SiliconDrive USB Blade. The
 innovative edge connector has spring-loaded snaps at either end of the slot
 to ensure the SiliconDrive USB Blade is held securely in place, allowing
 installation either vertically or at a right angle when space is a major
 design concern.
     Advanced Storage Technologies Enhance Reliability and Security
     SiliconDrive USB Blade comes integrated with SiliconSystems' patented
 PowerArmor and SiSMART advanced storage technologies. PowerArmor delivers
 enhanced protection from host system voltage and power anomalies to prevent
 data and drive corruption, and SiSMART is a precise monitoring system that
 accurately forecasts storage system useable life to eliminate unscheduled
 downtime. To provide enhanced data security, SiliconDrive USB Blade will
 also include a comprehensive suite of user-selectable integrated security
 technologies that can protect data from unauthorized access or IP theft.
     SiliconDrive USB Blade evaluation units and host developer tool kits
 will be available in December 2007. Initially SiliconDrive USB Blade will
 be offered in capacities of 512 megabytes (MB), 1 gigabyte (GB) and 2 GB.
     About SiliconDrive USB Blade
     SiliconDrive USB Blade is a breakthrough postage-stamp sized USB
 solid-state drive designed for embedded storage applications where board
 space, shock, vibration, temperature and multi-year product lifecycles are
 mandatory design considerations. SiliconDrive USB Blade combines the
 ultimate in design flexibility with SiliconSystems' advanced storage
 technology to increase performance and reliability while reducing the total
 cost of storage ownership.
     About SiliconSystems
     SiliconSystems is a world leader in advanced storage technology
 engineered exclusively for the high performance, high reliability,
 multi-year product lifecycle requirements of the Enterprise System OEM
 market. The company's patented SiliconDrive technology exceeds the rigorous
 demands of applications in the netcom, military, industrial, interactive
 kiosk and medical markets. SiliconSystems is based in Aliso Viejo,
 California. Additional company and product information is available on the
 company's website at http://www.siliconsystems.com.
     SiliconSystems(TM), SiliconDrive(R), SiSMART(TM), PowerArmor(TM),
 SiliconDrive USB Blade(TM) and the SiliconSystems logo are trademarks or
 registered trademarks of SiliconSystems, Inc. and may be used publicly only
 with the permission of SiliconSystems and require proper acknowledgement.
 Other listed names and brands are trademarks or registered trademarks of
 their respective owners.
 
 

SOURCE SiliconSystems, Inc.