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A*STAR's Data Storage Institute Launches Next Generation 5mm Hybrid Hard Disk Drive
SINGAPORE, November 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
The "A-Drive", one of the world's thinnest 5mm hybrid hard drives in a 2.5" form
factor, was officially launched by Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, to commemorate the Data Storage
Institute's (DSI) 20 years of R&D in the area of data storage capabilities.
The "A-Drive" represents the next generation of storage innovation providing
capacities of up to 1 TB Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with 32 GB Solid State Drive (SSD). This
potentially allows the "A-Drive" to store over 250,000 songs in its 5mm body. The
"A-Drive" also addresses limitations of the popular, yet expensive, flash-based SSD, as
well as the conventional HDD for the consumer and business industry.
DSI's "A-Drive" is set to change the consumer and enterprise landscape, targeted
specifically for tablets, ultrabooks, and future data centres. With its slim form factor,
the "A-Drive" could fit into tablet devices, greatly expanding its storage space while
extending battery life by up to 30%. The "A-Drive" will be a cheaper alternative to the
SSDs currently used in ultrabooks, offering the same instant-on capability but with larger
storage capacity. In addition, the "A-Drive" can be extended for enterprise storage
applications, reducing power consumption by up to 50%, resulting in greener and more
efficient data centres with better optimisation of the already limited rack space.
"Today, our year-long vision of creating a 5mm thin hybrid hard drive in 2.5" form
factor with increased storage capacity and reduced power consumption at a lower cost for
manufacturers has become a reality," said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of
DSI. "We have managed to fit an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into
a thinner, cheaper, and faster design, and we think the consumer and enterprise impact
will be significant."
One of the main challenges in reducing the thickness of current 7mm hard disk drives
by almost 30% without compromising on its performance and stability is its spindle motor
design. To achieve a reduction in size, DSI researchers developed a proprietary axial
field motor which runs smoother, quieter, more efficiently, lowering power consumption by
up to 70% yet at a fraction of the cost of SSDs. The motor's design has been patented,
along with 30 other unique designs for the "A-Drive". In addition, DSI has collaborated
with multinational corporations and local companies, such as Seiko Instruments, Miyoshi,
and Unisteel, to develop key components for the "A-Drive".
For more information about DSI, please visit http://www.dsi.a-star.edu.sg.
Media Enquiries
Ogilvy Public Relations
Gabriel Tan
Tel: +65-6213-6956
e-mail: gabriel.tan@ogilvy.com
Data Storage Institute (DSI)
Melissa Loh
Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications
Tel: +65-6874-6852
e-mail: lohsm@scei.a-star.edu.sg
A*STAR Data Storage Institute
A*STAR's Data Storage Institute Launches Next Generation 5mm Hybrid Hard Disk Drive
SINGAPORE, November 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
The "A-Drive", one of the world's thinnest 5mm hybrid hard drives in a 2.5" form
factor, was officially launched by Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade & Industry, to commemorate the Data Storage
Institute's (DSI) 20 years of R&D in the area of data storage capabilities.
The "A-Drive" represents the next generation of storage innovation providing
capacities of up to 1 TB Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with 32 GB Solid State Drive (SSD). This
potentially allows the "A-Drive" to store over 250,000 songs in its 5mm body. The
"A-Drive" also addresses limitations of the popular, yet expensive, flash-based SSD, as
well as the conventional HDD for the consumer and business industry.
DSI's "A-Drive" is set to change the consumer and enterprise landscape, targeted
specifically for tablets, ultrabooks, and future data centres. With its slim form factor,
the "A-Drive" could fit into tablet devices, greatly expanding its storage space while
extending battery life by up to 30%. The "A-Drive" will be a cheaper alternative to the
SSDs currently used in ultrabooks, offering the same instant-on capability but with larger
storage capacity. In addition, the "A-Drive" can be extended for enterprise storage
applications, reducing power consumption by up to 50%, resulting in greener and more
efficient data centres with better optimisation of the already limited rack space.
"Today, our year-long vision of creating a 5mm thin hybrid hard drive in 2.5" form
factor with increased storage capacity and reduced power consumption at a lower cost for
manufacturers has become a reality," said Dr. Pantelis Alexopoulos, Executive Director of
DSI. "We have managed to fit an amazing amount of innovation and advanced technology into
a thinner, cheaper, and faster design, and we think the consumer and enterprise impact
will be significant."
One of the main challenges in reducing the thickness of current 7mm hard disk drives
by almost 30% without compromising on its performance and stability is its spindle motor
design. To achieve a reduction in size, DSI researchers developed a proprietary axial
field motor which runs smoother, quieter, more efficiently, lowering power consumption by
up to 70% yet at a fraction of the cost of SSDs. The motor's design has been patented,
along with 30 other unique designs for the "A-Drive". In addition, DSI has collaborated
with multinational corporations and local companies, such as Seiko Instruments, Miyoshi,
and Unisteel, to develop key components for the "A-Drive".
For more information about DSI, please visit http://www.dsi.a-star.edu.sg.
Media Enquiries
Ogilvy Public Relations
Gabriel Tan
Tel: +65-6213-6956
e-mail: gabriel.tan@ogilvy.com
Data Storage Institute (DSI)
Melissa Loh
Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications
Tel: +65-6874-6852
e-mail: lohsm@scei.a-star.edu.sg
A*STAR Data Storage Institute