When SATA interface arrived there were many who wondered how we ever stood with the clumsy PATA format and the large and wide cables. The SATA cables and connectors were just a fraction in size, but now, many years later, the market has moved on and even the SATA standard can feel clumsy. With the extremely slim formfactors that are becoming all the more popular the SATA connector size is starting to become a problem and the SATA-IO group has countered with mSATA.
The new specification is for a mini-SATA connectors that in low-profile format that will enable SATA drives even with the slimmest of products. Not surprisingly SATA-IO mentions the Solid State Drive technology when presenting the new interface.
“The mSATA specification extends the low-cost, high-speed benefits to the rapidly growing SSD market, increasing the options for manufacturers to develop small form factor solutions.”
It uses the same SATA channels and mSATA supports both SATA 1.5Gbps and 3.0Gbps standards. The new mini connector will be presented at IDF next week and Toshiba has already developed mSATA modules with 32nm NAND chips at 30GB and 62GB sizes.
