sTec, Inc., a leading global provider of solid-state storage solutions, today introduced the sTec s260 mSATA solid-state drives (SSDs), whose reliability, small footprint and low power draw make them ideal for embedded storage in rugged, space-conscious environments. The SSDs, which feature a 6 Gbps Serial ATA (SATA) interface, are designed to tackle a range of embedded-storage applications, including operating-system booting, data logging, code-storage/application hosting, caching, and fast data backup.

The s260 drives, which comply with the JEDEC-defined MO-300A and MO-300B (mSATA mini) standards, draw just 1.5W, a fraction of the power required by rotating-disk storage. Additionally, they deliver industry-leading reliability through sTec's patented PowerSafe technology and support industrial temperatures, ranging from -40° to 85° C. These features combine to meet the demands of embedded designs in remote and/or space-constrained systems where access is limited, airflow is restricted and heat exacts both performance and durability penalties."Designers are eager for easily integrated SATA drives that can withstand harsh environments and don't require frequent replacement - and it's those very conditions where the performance and endurance of these new s260 mSATA drives really shine," said Zack Mihalis, vice president of product marketing and management, sTec. "Our heritage of drive performance and reliability, along with the high demand for this popular format in the industrial, networking and telecommunications markets, makes this a logical extension of sTec solid-state storage solutions."

The s260 mSATA SSDs, using highly reliable single-level cell (SLC) and enterprise multi-level cell (eMLC) flash memory, are available in a range of capacities -- between 16 GB and 200 GB - to enable flexible, cost-efficient designs. Their powerful error-correction coding (ECC) scheme helps assure data integrity. As with all sTec SSDs, the new mSATA drives come with warranties of either three (eMLC) and five (SLC) years.

mSATA is a JEDEC-compliant SSD format that leverages the widely used SATA standard, which continues to be used across a wide range of applications and enjoys support in the majority of off-the-shelf system boards. Increasingly replacing parallel ATA (PATA) in embedded systems, SATA drives are a logical drop-in replacement for conventional storage for OEM and industrial system designs with size and/or power constraints. sTec's new s260 mSATA SSDs provide the same advanced flash management technology and data integrity of its other high-performance and -reliability enterprise SSDs, in a size less than half of the industry-standard 2.5-inch form factor.

Available for sampling now, the s260 mSATA SSDs scan be purchased directly from sTec and through authorized distributors.