Toshiba has just announced that they will be unveiling a new series of solid state drive (SSD) modules that will utilize the latest generation Toshiba 32nm MLC NAND flash, where it is also known as the Toshiba SG2 modules. These will come in two types, where one of them is based on the new low-profile mini-SATA (mSATA) interface standard, while the other will comprise of a Half-Slim type that relies on a SATA connector instead. The drives will come in 30GB and 62GB modules (the latter is a rather strange number, don’t you think? One would normally be inclined toward 64GB instead), where volume production of both will commence from October onwards.

These two modules are no larger than a business card, where their small size is able to offer greater design flexibility while saving space and cost in the process when compared to traditional SSDs with hard disk drive form factors and cases. The 62GB module measures a mere one seventh the volume and one eighth the weight of a 2.5″ form factor SSD, while consuming just 50% of its power. Don’t be fooled by the small size when it comes to performance though, as it can boast interface speeds up to 3Gbps, hitting a maximum sequential read speed of 180MB/s and a maximum sequential write speed of 70MB/s, offering the performance advantages found in SSDs to the notebook platform, portable electronics and embedded systems. The inclusion of an advanced controller will come with a translation mode, where it will enable any drive configuration, while the drive supports 28-bit LBA (Logical Block Address) mode commands and 48-bit LBA mode commands. Other features include support for Multi-word DMA, Ultra-DMA modes and Advanced PIO commands. For those who are paranoid about their stored data, they can always opt to include secure Full Disk Encryption (FDE) backup that prevents unauthorized data access.

There is no word on pricing, but these will be the first (of many) mini-SATA SSDs that will predictably flood the netbook market in the near future.

Press Release