The Leading Source of Ultimate Storage Solutions ™ Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 W ith a goal of taking solid state storage to unprecedented levels of performance, capacity and reliability, BiTMICRO Networks, the pioneer in intelligent IDE/ATA, SCSI, VME, and Fibre Channel flash disk solid state storage solutions announced details regarding the forthcoming release of the E-Disk ® Altima ™ family of flash solid state disks (SSD). The E-Disk ® Altima ™ Flash SSD series is a realization of BiTMICRO’s goal to deliver a comprehensive set of solid state disk technologies for mainstream enterprise, commercial, industrial and military storage. Featuring the company’s cutting-edge EDSA ™ flash I/O controller and LUNETA ™ memory flash interface ASICs, E-Disk ® Altima ™ SSD brings high-capacity and high- performance yet cost-effective solid state storage to servers, storage networks, as well as other storage applications that are subjected to extreme operating conditions. BiTMICRO to Debut 416GB IDE Flash SSD PAGE 03 PAGE 08 PAGE 11 - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - in this issue (continue to page 2) The first product to be released to market is the 2.5-inch E-Disk ® Altima ™ E2A133BL ATA-133 model, a flash memory-based SSD designed for military, industrial and commercial users who are looking for faster and bigger storage upgrades for time-tested PATA-based systems. This 2.5-inch ATA/ ATAPI-7 PATA solid state drive, supporting PIO 0-4, DMA 0-2 and UDMA 0-6 data transfer modes, will utilize the latest high den-sity single level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory chips to deliver an astounding storage capacity of up to 416 GB, while providing 133MB/sec burst with up to Product Update: E-Disk ® 3.5” ATA and SCSI Narrow Capacity Offerings Features: SSDs: Continuously Defying the Limits of Altitude for Data Storage On the Web: New Look, New Content: The New E-Disk ® Altima ™ Product Line Card PRICING & AVAILABILITY 100MB/sec sustained Reads and Writes and up to 20,000+ IOPS. With operating temperatures ranging from –40 degrees C to +85 degrees C, the E-Disk ® Altima ™ ATA- 133 model is suitable for 24x7 deployment even in extremely hostile environments. “For storage users in the military and industrial markets, high disk capacities equate to longer hours, even days, of non-stop operation. Just like enterprise users, these markets desire continually increasing drive capacities to Sampling for the E-Disk ® Altima ™ ATA-133 solid state drive is expected to begin in Q1 2008 and ship by March 2008 in capacities ranging from 4GB up to 416GB. For pricing and more E-Disk ® Altima ™ flash drive solid state disk storage technology information, visit http://www.bitmicro.com or contact BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. at 47929 Fremont Boulevard, CA 94538 USA. Tel: +1 510-74E-Disk ® +1 510-743-3475 Fax: +1 510-743-3155 E-mail: [email protected]
1. The Leading Source of Ultimate Storage Solutions Volume No.
4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 BiTMICRO to Debut 416GB IDE Flash SSD W ith a
goal of taking solid state storage to unprecedented levels of
performance, capacity and reliability, BiTMICRO Networks, 100MB/sec
sustained Reads and Writes and up to 20,000+ IOPS. With operating
temperatures ranging from 40 degrees C the pioneer in intelligent
IDE/ATA, SCSI, to +85 degrees C, the E-Disk Altima ATA- VME, and
Fibre Channel flash disk solid 133 model is suitable for 24x7
deployment state storage solutions announced details even in
extremely hostile environments. regarding the forthcoming release
of the E-Disk Altima family of flash solid state For storage users
in the military and industrial disks (SSD). markets, high disk
capacities equate to longer The first product to be released to
market hours, even days, of non-stop operation. Just The E-Disk
Altima Flash SSD series is is the 2.5-inch E-Disk Altima E2A133BL
like enterprise users, these markets desire a realization of
BiTMICROs goal to deliver ATA-133 model, a flash memory-based
continually increasing drive capacities to a comprehensive set of
solid state disk SSD designed for military, industrial and
(continue to page 2) technologies for mainstream enterprise,
commercial users who are looking for faster commercial, industrial
and military storage. and bigger storage upgrades for time-tested
Featuring the companys cutting-edge PATA-based systems. This
2.5-inch ATA/ PRICING & EDSA flash I/O controller and LUNETA
ATAPI-7 PATA solid state drive, supporting AVAILABILITY memory
flash interface ASICs, E-Disk PIO 0-4, DMA 0-2 and UDMA 0-6 data
Altima SSD brings high-capacity and high- transfer modes, will
utilize the latest high Sampling for the E-Disk Altima performance
yet cost-effective solid state den-sity single level cell (SLC)
NAND flash ATA-133 solid state drive is storage to servers, storage
networks, as memory chips to deliver an astounding expected to
begin in Q1 2008 and well as other storage applications that are
storage capacity of up to 416 GB, while ship by March 2008 in
capacities subjected to extreme operating conditions. providing
133MB/sec burst with up to ranging from 4GB up to 416GB. For
pricing and more E-Disk in this issue Altima flash drive solid
state disk storage technology information, Product Update: visit
http://www.bitmicro.com or E-Disk 3.5 ATA and SCSI Narrow Capacity
Offerings contact BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. PAGE 03 at 47929 Fremont
Boulevard, CA - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - Features: 94538
USA. SSDs: Continuously Defying the Limits of Altitude for Data
Storage PAGE 08 Tel: +1 510-74E-Disk - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -
- - On the Web: +1 510-743-3475 New Look, New Content: The New
E-Disk Altima Product Line Card Fax: +1 510-743-3155 PAGE 11
E-mail: [email protected] - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -
2. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 News & Trends Latest
Series F Round of Funding Raises $9.3M We are excited to be part of
a dynamic organization that has a long and proud history in flash
SSD development Buck Carson General Partner, Woodside Investments B
iTMICRO Networks recently raised $9.3 million in Series F funding
with a team of investors led by Woodside Investments that it is
poised to take off in the next few years. Our latest investment in
BiTMICRO is testimony to our groups support for the military,
aerospace and consumer markets. The global storage market is moving
towards solid state, and as one of the LP. management team and the
execution of its pioneers in this industry, BiTMICRO Networks
business strategies. is all set to become a major player in this
The company intends to utilize the additional billion-dollar
industry, said Rey Bruce, capital to further ramp production, sales
and BiTMICRO is developing a new generation Chairman, President and
CEO of BiTMICRO. marketing operations, as well as support of solid
state storage solutions that defines We are happy to note that
investors such aggressive R&D initiatives geared towards the
companys vision for the much awaited as Woodside Investments have
taken creating a new generation of flash-based proliferation of
flash based storage in the cognizance of this fact and are prepared
E-Disk solid state disk and semiconductor enterprise and consumer
markets. These to support the product development efforts storage
solutions. With this announcement, high-performance flash SSDs will
be that are currently underway at BiTMICRO. BiTMICROs total funding
now stands at available in industry standard and small $31.4
million in private funding. storage form factors supporting the
latest In 2005, BiTMICRO was cited by high-speed storage interfaces
and high- STORAGEsearch.com in its Solid State Disk We are excited
to be part of a dynamic density memory chips. Buyer Preferences
Market Report as the organization that has a long and proud most
recognized brand in the SSD market. history in flash SSD
development, said Most importantly, BiTMICROs design The companys
long list of technological Buck Carson, general partner for
Woodside leverages proprietary technology with the achievements
includes the introduction of Investments. The recent entry of a
number ever-increasing flash memory densities to the worlds first
Ultra320 SCSI flash SSD, the of global semiconductor and Fortune
500 create affordable, yet fast and reliable solid worlds first
ATA/UDMA-66 IDE flash SSD and companies in the SSD market suggests
state storage alternatives for the enterprise, the worlds first
Fibre Channel flash SSD. (continued from page 1) meet exponential
growth in their storage requirements, remarked state mass storage
will combine with multi-core processors to deliver Rudy Bruce,
Exec. VP for Marketing and Sales and CMO at BiTMICRO unprecedented
levels of performance required by next-generation Networks. The
launch of the E-Disk Altima series of cutting-edge operating
systems and applications, he further explained. solid state flash
drives will usher in a new computing era, where solid E-Disk
Newsletter 2
3. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 Product Updates Product
Change Notice E-Disk 3.5 ATA and SCSI Narrow E-Disk ATA/IDE New
Firmware 2G10 2 Capacity Offerings PCN-MK-005-00 PCN-MK-003-00 July
26, 2007 1 Effective immediately, BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. will no
longer offer August 3, 2007 Effective immediately, all E-Disk
ATA/IDE products will be shipping with a new standard firmware
version 2G10 replacing the current version 2E10. capacities for
E-Disk 3.5 ATA and SCSI Narrow products as listed under This new
firmware version includes support for new flash devices. the
Affected Products Section below. Withdrawal of these capacities is
due to increased difficulty in procuring assembly components.
Affected Products: Affected Products (Capacities in MB): 3.5 E-Disk
ATA/IDE Models 3A5, 3A11, 3A16, 3A33, 3A66 2.5 E-Disk ATA/IDE
Models 2A5, 2A11, 2A16, 2A33, 2A66 3.5 ATA and SCSI Narrow 4096,
12288, 20480, 28672, 36864, 45056, 53248, 61440, 69632,
Recommendation: 77824 E-Disk ATA/IDE products with firmware version
2E10 and earlier are not Recommendation: required to upgrade to
version 2G10. Please refer to the following capacity offerings (in
MB) for E-Disk 3.5 ATA and SCSI Narrow products. 2048, 6144, 10240,
14336, 18432, 22528, 26624, 30720, 34816, 38912 E-Disk 2.5 ATA and
SCSI Narrow 2.5 SCSI Narrow 3 Capacity Offerings 1024, 5120, 9216,
13312, 17408, 28672, 32768, 36864, 40960, 49152, PCN-MK-004-01
57344, 65536, 73728 August 16, 2007 Recommendation: Effective
immediately, BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. will no longer offer Please
refer to the following capacity offerings (in MB) for E-Disk 2.5
capacities for E-Disk 2.5 ATA and SCSI Narrow products as listed
ATA and SCSI Narrow products. under the Affected Products Section
below. Withdrawal of these capacities is due to market decline in
the stated products and 2.5 ATA increased difficulty in procuring
assembly components. 512, 1024, 2048, 2560, 4096, 4608, 5120, 6656,
8192, 8704, 9216, 10240, 13312, 16384, 17408 Affected Products
(Capacities in MB): 18432, 24576, 26624, 32768, 34816, 40960,
43008, 49152, 51200 2.5 ATA 2.5 SCSI Narrow 12288, 21504, 25600,
29696, 33792, 37888, 57344, 65536, 73728 512, 2560, 4096, 4608,
6656, 8192, 8704, 12288, 16384, 20480, 24576 Visit
http://www.bitmicro.com/support_prod_notifications_advisories.php
for the latest Product updates and notices. E-Disk Newsletter
3
4. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 Product Updates E-Disk 3.5
SCSI Wide E-Disk 3.5 SCSI Wide and Fibre Channel 4 Capacity
Offerings Capacity Offerings 5 PCN-MK-006-00 PCN-MK-007-00 August
22, 2007 October 5, 2007 Effective immediately, BiTMICRO Networks,
Inc. will no longer offer capacities for E-Disk 3.5 Ultra Wide SCSI
products as listed under the Effective immediately, BiTMICRO
Networks, Inc. will no longer offer Affected Products Section
below. Withdrawal of these capacities is due capacities for E-Disk
3.5 Ultra Wide SCSI and FC products as listed to increased
difficulty in procuring assembly components. under the Affected
Products Section below. Withdrawal of these capacities is due to
increased difficulty in procuring assembly components. Affected
Products (Capacities in MB): Affected Products (Capacities in MB):
3.5 Ultra Wide SCSI (D3S40D, D3S40E) 2048, 10240, 18432, 26624,
34816, 43008, 51200, 59392, 67584, 3.5 Ultra Wide SCSI (D3S40D,
D3S40E) 75776 81920, 98304, 114688, 131072, 147456 Recommendation:
3.5 Ultra320 SCSI (D3S320D, D3S320E) 8192, 24576, 40960, 57344,
73728, 90112, 106496, 122880, 139264, Please refer to the following
capacity offerings (in MB) for E-Disk 3.5 155648 Ultra Wide SCSI
products. 3.5 Fibre Channel 1024, 5120, 8192, 9216, 13312, 16384,
24576, 32768, 40960, 49152, 8192, 24576, 40960, 57344, 73728,
90112, 106496, 122880, 139264, 57344, 65536, 73728, 81920, 98304,
114688, 131072, 147456 155648 Recommendation: The capacity
offerings (in MB) listed below continue to be available until
E-Disk 2.5 ATA February 29, 2008. Please refer to Product
Discontinuation Notice for 6 Capacity Offerings E-Disk 3.5 SCSI
Wide Series posted under BiTMICRO Networks Support PCN-MK-007-00
page. October 5, 2007 E-Disk 3.5 Ultra Wide SCSI 1024, 5120, 8192,
9216, 13312, 16384, 24576, 32768, 40960, 49152, Effective
immediately, BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. will no longer offer 57344,
65536, 73728 capacities for E-Disk 2.5 ATA products as listed under
the Affected Products Section below. Withdrawal of these capacities
is due to E-Disk 3.5 Ultra320 SCSI increased difficulty in
procuring assembly components. 2048, 4096, 6144, 10240, 12288,
14336, 20480, 28672, 36864, 45056, 53248, 61440, 69632, 77824
Affected Products (Capacities in MB): Please refer to the following
capacity offerings (in MB) for: 2.5 ATA 2048, 8192, 10240, 16384,
18432, 24576, 26624, 32768, 34816, E-Disk 3.5 Fibre Channel 40960,
43008, 49152, 51200 2048, 4096, 6144, 10240, 12288, 14336, 20480,
28672, 36864, 45056, 53248, 61440, 69632, 77824 Recommendation:
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
your BiTMICRO Sales The capacity offerings (in MB) listed below for
E-Disk 2.5 ATA Representative at [email protected] products
continue to be available until January 31, 2008. Please refer to or
at 510-743-3475. Product Discontinuation Notice for E-Disk 2.5
ATA/IDE Series posted under BiTMICRO Networks Support page. E-mail
Alerts 2.5 ATA If you would like to receive product updates and
notifications, please 512, 1024, 2560, 4096, 4608, 5120, 6656,
8704, 9216, 13312, 17408 sign up at
http://www.bitmicro.com/newsletter_subscribe.aspx E-Disk Newsletter
4
5. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 Events SIGGRAPH August 5 9,
2007 San Diego, California USA Booth no. 347 Various E-Disk Altima
products The BiTMICRO booth at Siggraph caught the attention of
many trade visitors with its catch y backdrop. showcased at the
event. More than 24,000 trade visitors came to San Diego for the
34th International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive
Techniques. A good mix of artists, research scientists, gaming
experts, developers, filmmakers, and academics from 79 countries
came for the annual conference and exhibition. BiTMICRO Networks
was among the 230 companies who exhibited in the event showcasing
the companys latest E-Disk Altima line-up. It was BiTMICROs 4th
time to join the event which targets both enterprise and consumer
markets. Next Generation Data Center Conference & Expo August 6
- 9, 2007 The Moscone Center San Francisco, CA Booth no. 519 Facade
wherein attendees of the Expo line-up to check the various exhibito
rs break during the Marius and Jewelle take a o. NGDC event in San
Francisc The latest in data center technologies and strategies were
featured at the Next Generation Data Center Conference and Expo
2007 held in San Francisco, California. BiTMICRO Networks shared
the exhibit floor with hundreds of other key exhibitors.
Highlighting its E-Disk Altima solid-state disks, the BiTMICRO
booth attracted lots of industry players both from the media and
enterprise end user markets. The event highlighted technologies
that can support emerging trends and mission critical applications
impacting the data center, including storage, servers, networking,
and communications. E-Disk Newsletter 5
6. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 Events DSEi September 11-14,
2007 Excel, London, UK Booth no. 1011A A showcase of the latest E-D
th at DSEi 2007. isk Altima Jamie Bruce mans the boo product
line-up. Another successful Defence Systems and Equipment
International Exhibition was staged in Excel, London last September
11-14, 2007. Quick facts proved this with 27 national pavilions
occupied by 1352 exhibitors from 40 countries. More than 26,000
visitors attended 4 days of the show. BiTMICRO Networks
strengthened its presence in the military and defense industries by
participating in this event, considered as the worlds most
prestigious defence exhibition. Highlight of the companys
participation was the announcement of the upcoming E-Disk Altima
416GB IDE flash solid-state disk in 2.5 form factor delivering
133MB/sec burst and 100MB/sec sustained read and write rates. UE
UPCOMING EVENTS Storage Networking World - Fall PT/EXPO COMM CHINA
2007 Booth PP14 Booth 2313 October 15-18, 2007 October 23-27, 2007
Gaylord Texan China International Dallas, Texas Exhibition Center
Beijing, China International Telemetering Oracle Open World 2007
Conference Booth 2634, Moscone South Booth 905 November 11-15, 2007
October 22-25, 2007 Moscone Center Riviera Hotel & Convention
Center San Francisco, CA Las Vegas, NV Supercomputing 2007 Booth
110 November 10-16, 2007 Reno-Sparks Convention Center Reno, NV,
USA E-Disk Newsletter 6
7. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 Features SSDs: Continuously
Defying the Limits of Altitude for Data Storage Joanne de Peralta,
BiTMICRO Networks, Inc. SSDs burgeoning role in data storage is
continuously expanding possibilities in military operations as well
as scientific research Military systems have long been the regular
market for solid-state disks (SSD). Even now that the consumer
industry is slowly adopting SSD for its new generation of products,
the technology is still directly identified as a primary storage
tool of the defense sector. For industry watchers who have been
closely following the ascent of this technology, it doesnt come as
a surprise at all. After all, as defined solid- state disk is a
non-volatile, high performance storage device with no moving parts.
This is the basic premise why SSDs are being fielded out to highly
rugged environments, high altitudes included where conventional
hard disk drives are most likely to malfunction. SSDs come with
non-volatile and high density flash chips, resulting in high
storage capacities in small form factors. Likewise, the absence of
mechanical parts inside the device keeps the wear and tear to the
minimum. in applications where weight is calculated to the last
pound. The SSDs advantage over the rotating hard disk drive is
clearly stated in storagesearch.coms article entitled Why Most
Analysts are Wrong about Capacity and Price Solid State Disks. It
says, The customer value proposition in hostile As the technology
matures, manufacturers offer increasing capacities. environments is
that SSDs operate in environments in which hard disks are Although
the military and industrial markets are not that price sensitive as
unsuitable, and where SSDs have superior weight, power, reliability
or other compared to the consumer market, the rapid drop in prices
of flash chips key attributes. Simply put, hard disk drives could
not offer provide the best directly affects how the leading players
in the storage industry map out their form factor and functionality
in extreme conditions. product lines. In most tradeshows,
manufacturers are now boasting of higher capacities, even beating
their own offerings a few months back. According Addressing the
limitations of high altitude apps to ComputerWorld Storage, an 8GB
chip that cost $11.36 at the end of In high altitude applications,
ruggedness in a data storage device can be 2006 currently costs
$8.47 on the spot market. Thats a drop of 25% in six tantamount to
the success of the operation or project itself. This type of
months. computing environment is characterized by temperature
fluctuations, shock, vibration, dust, moisture, magnetic fields,
limited space and non-availability SSDs when first introduced to
the military market offer less than a gigabyte of of power source
among others. data storage. But now, SSDs can come with as much as
a terabyte of data in one unit. This much capacity can record a
years surveillance data in airborne For humans, it takes a lot
applications. of preparation to ready the physical and emotional
self Ruggedness for combat. So how does it In high altitude
applications, ruggedness in a High altitude applications go for
SSDs? Where does its data storage device can be tantamount to the
require an operating power to combat extreme temperature of -40C to
success of the operation or project itself. conditions in high
altitude 85C (industrial) range or applications come from? even
better. Mechanical hard drives are limited to Form Factor an
operating temperature Solid-state disks are direct drop-in
replacements for HDDs. It can come in range of +5C to +55C which
cannot guarantee a flawless performance small form factors if
necessary for a high-altitude application. It can come in when sent
up. SSDs on the other hand have been built with such conditions
handy 1.8 up to 3.5 form factors to fit in most computing devices.
Compared in mind. Extreme temperatures do not affect its
performance, thus vouching to hard disk drives, it can cut the
weight by half giving it a premium advantage for data integrity.
E-Disk Newsletter 7
8. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 Features Security was
contracted by a private aerospace company to develop a ground-
Security features are readily available for most solid-state disks.
For breaking design that goes beyond the limits of traditional
spacecraft BiTMICROs E-Disk SSD, the securErase function allows
classified data to architecture. After finalizing the new design,
SpaceQuest looked around for be deleted completely, quickly and
beyond retrieval. This patented security a reliable storage drive
for the spacecrafts computer vision system during feature
eliminates the danger of confidential information being retrieved
and orbit. used against the data owners. SpaceQuest decided to
deploy non-volatile E-Disk ATA/IDE solid state disks. Power
Consumption The E-Disk SSD has a proven track record in ruggedized
applications, Drives equipped with flash memory chips consume 70
percent less power operating reliably even in high-altitudes (up to
120,000 feet) and extreme than rotating hard disk drives. This is
exceptionally beneficial in high altitude operating temperatures
(60C to + 95C). Upon installation, company applications as power
source is hardly available once airborne vehicle takes engineers
delightfully noted that the pure solid state E-Disk ATA/IDE flash
off. The less power a drive needs the longer it can store data
without the need drive consumed minimal power and integrated well
with the spacecrafts to recharge. network of computers connected by
proprietary bus and interfaces. Solid State Disk in actual
deployment This is just citing few of the documented cases where
solid-state disk BiTMICROs E-Disk Solid State Drive proved how much
SSD can contribute validates its claim of having the brain, brawn
and mechanism to be deployed to scientific research when it was
employed for the Cosmic Rays Energe- in extreme conditions such as
in high altitude applications. Successful SSD tics And Mass (CREAM)
project. CREAM is a National Aeronautics and Space deployments in
the field of research translate to bolder attempts to study
Administration (NASA)-sponsored high-altitude balloon experiment
led by top outer space and find out what is beneath the skies.
universities in the US. It was an investigative effort to find out
the composition of ultra high-energy cosmic rays. Solid-state
drives eliminate the limits of altitude when it comes to data
storage. For now, it can be the extent of SSDs role in research but
looking at Using a 43 GB E-Disk flash disk drive on board a Long
Duration Balloon the continuous development of the product, it will
not be long before it takes (LDB), the team was able to record
about 36GB of heavy nuclei data. The on a pivotal role in further
discovering and conquering the world out there. unmanned balloon
surpassed its previous record with an on-flight travel of 41 days
and 22 hours near the edge of space at 125,000 feet. Although flash
In the military on the other hand, solid state disks further
solidify their role as memory is not entirely insensitive to cosmic
rays, E-Disk solid state flash a key storage device for
surveillance, reconnaissance and exploratory efforts drives
utilized Toshiba flash chips, which have very low cosmic ray
sensitivity in high altitude environments. Barriers are
continuously being broken to give because Toshibas inside-store
trench cell stores more charge. way to a more efficient system in
the defense sector. At the end of the day, solid-state disks
strengthen the militarys full battle gear giving the power to A
Test of Durability secure data even in the harshest conditions.
SpaceQuest, Ltd, a spacecraft avionics developer based in Fairfax,
Virginia, E-Disk Newsletter 8
9. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 On the Web KB KNOWLEDGE BASE
PowerGuard FAQs, Part II What are the Different PowerGuard Modes?
the external power to the E-Disk storage device falls below
approximately +4.7 V during operation of the device. Save Mode is
the default mode for all ANSWER: types of PowerGuard data
protection units, including PowerGuard II & III. PowerGuard
comes in three models that provide different levels of data
Power-Down Erase Mode protection, namely: This mode causes the
E-Disk storage device to erase automatically and ir- PowerGuard
Mode Features retrievably all data stored in the E-Disk storage
device if external power to the E-Disk storage device falls below
the threshold voltage. PowerGuard I - Save Mode Flushes Cache Data
to Flash, Plus Option for Instant Erasure of Flash Data (External
Power Required) SAVE MODE PowerGuard II - Erase Mode Save Mode,
Plus Option for Power Down Erase PowerGuard III - Standby Mode
Erase Mode, Plus Extra Internal Power to Extend Decision Time POWER
DONE ERASE MODE to Erase or Keep Flash Data PowerGuard III offers
the highest level of data protection. It incorporates a 3-position
manual switch that is located on the mechanical assembly con-
taining the charge-carrying devices and its associated circuitry.
STANDBY MODE The different operating modes for PowerGuard are
described below: Save Mode This mode causes the storage device to
automatically flush all dirty data saved in volatile memory, such
as cache memory, to non-volatile memory if E-Disk Newsletter 9
10. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 Instant Erase Mode
PowerGuard Instant Erase Activation When activated, all normal
operations of the E-Disk storage device will What is the minimum
time that the Instant Erase (IE) pins need to be shorted cease and
all data in the entire E-Disk storage device will be immediately in
order to activate the Instant Erase function? and irretrievably
erased regardless of whether the PowerGuard unit is in the Save or
Power-Down Erase mode. The PowerGuard I and II versions will not
ANSWER: operate correctly if the Instant Erase mode is activated
after external power is removed from the E-Disk drive unit. Instant
Erase is activated immediately after pins 3 and 4 (on the 3-Block
LED) are shorted. The erase process will continue even if the pins
are no longer With PowerGuard III, activation of the Instant Erase
mode will immediately shorted. and completely erase all stored data
when the PowerGuard unit is placed in Standby Mode as long as
sufficient energy is still available in the super To reset and
return the E-Disk flash drive to Idle mode, user should remove
capacitors. the jumper and wait for the Instant Erase process to
finish. The same is true for other modes of PowerGuard. Standby
Mode Instant Erase also has a polling feature that can be enabled
or disabled by Standby mode allows the disk to be removed from the
external power source the user through the E-Disk Analyzer (EDA) or
vendor-specific commands. and transported for an extended amount of
time, while maintaining the ability With polling disabled, the unit
will initiate erase immediately after the pins to erase all the
non-volatile memory upon activation of an easily accessible are
shorted. push button switch. With polling enabled, the user can set
a poll count (n-value), in 21ms incre- ments for E-Disk ATA/IDE
flash drives. For example, with polling enabled and n = 5, the IE
pins would have to be shorted for 105 ms before the erase begins.
This feature is used to filter out any glitches that may trigger an
un- Is PowerGuard required for securErase? intentional Instant
Erase. ANSWER: PowerGuard is the hardware complement of securErase.
PowerGuard provides sufficient standby energy for securErase to
complete the data sani- No, PowerGuard is not required tization
process in case of external power interruption. For as long as the
E- or securErase implementa- Disk SSD is powered up externally,
securErase can be executed via SCSI or tion. A built-in firmware
utility in ATA/IDE commands, jumper settings, or by a user supplied
external switch. E-Disk SSDs, securErase is the registered
trademark for any type of erasure functionality in BiTMICRO
products that renders the data completely irretrievable. securErase
can be performed through software (i.e., E-Disk Analyzer, low-level
ATA/IDE or SCSI For other useful information on command) or through
hardware (i.e., units with PowerGuard or E-Disk SSDs, visit the
specially-configured units without BiTMICRO KnowledgeBase at
PowerGuard). http://www.bitmicro.com/kb.php E-Disk Newsletter
10
11. Volume No. 4 Issue No. 3 3Q2007 On the Web E-Disk
Newsletter New Look, Editorial New Content Lyndon Santos
[email protected] Jun Alejo BiTMICRO Networks has
[email protected] published a new product Joanne De Peralta line
card that highlights the [email protected] companys
forthcoming E-Disk Ana Patricia Locsin Altima family of solid state
disks. [email protected] The line card details the entire
product lineup, including key specifications such as capacities,
About the Newsletter transfer rates, and shock/vibration The
E-DiskNewsletter is a resistance. PDF copies of the quarterly
publication of BiTMICRO line card may be downloaded via Networks.
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logging on to the Partner Source section of is the worlds premier
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storage! E-Disk Newsletter 11