The PCI Express Mini Card format has become the format of choice for the emerging ultra-mobile PC category.  With its small footprint and industry-standard design, the mPCIe format is an ideal fit for embedded solid state storage because it allows for high capacities and high performance while ensuring compatibility in ultra-mobile applications.

 Leveraging STEC’s proprietary, high performance MACH4 SSD controller, the Express Mini Card offers extremely high-performance (up to 90MB/s) and high capacities up to 32GB.  The result is a no-compromise solid state storage solution providing ultra-mobile system designers with a true plug-n-play storage device, allowing for short design cycles and fast time to market.

Flash memory has quickly become the product of choice for applications requiring high reliability and high tolerance to shock, vibration, humidity, altitude, and temperature, especially important to mobile applications. Because the MACH4 PCI Express Mini Card uses NAND flash technology (e.g. no moving parts), it is more reliable and has much lower latency compared to a traditional hard disk drive, while consuming half the power (approximately 1 watt compared to 2 watts for a typical mobile hard disk drive).  STEC’s MACH4 PCI Express Mini Card also adheres to the PCI-SIG Express Mini Card mechanical specification as well as industry compliance and regulatory standards including UL, FCC, RoHS, and ATA-7.  This combined with a proprietary state-of-the-art flash memory controller supporting key flash management features including advanced wear-leveling and error checking and correction as well as drive monitoring (SMART), provides OEMs with the flexibility to address customer-specific applications with the industry’s highest reliability and endurance.