Sandisk intros tiny integrated SSDs for mobiles

The iSSD is a BGA chip package that mounts on a laptop motherboard

Flash memory firm SanDisk has introduced a line of miniature solid state drives (SSDs) designed to fit inside mobile computing platforms such as ultra-thin laptops.

The Sandisk integrated SSD (iSSD) is smaller than a postage stamp and available in capacities from 4GB to 64GB. It is supplied as a small BGA chip package designed to be mounted directly onto the motherboard of a mobile device to provide built-in storage.

SanDisk claims that the module is the first to feature the industry-standard SATA interface, which means it can be used as a direct replacement for a standard hard disk and should not require special drivers to work with existing operating systems.

In performance, the iSSD supports a sequential read speed of 160MB/s and sequential writes up to 100MB/s.

"This new category of embedded SSDs should enable vendors to produce tablets and notebooks with an unprecedented combination of thin, lightweight form factors and fast performance," said SanDisk director of SSD marketing Doron Myersdorf.

Although not available yet, the iSSD is sampling with hardware manufacturers, according to SanDisk.