Toshiba Expands Car Line with 80GB Serial-ATA HDD

By DE Editors

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD; Irvine, CA) introduced its first 80GB Serial-ATA (SATA) automotive-grade HDD, expanding its line of ruggedized and temperature-enhanced storage solutions for in-car navigation and infotainment applications.

The seventh-generation, automotive-grade HDD (model MK8057GSC) is Toshiba’s first to offer a SATA interface, complementing the company’s existing line of Parallel-ATA (PATA) products in 40GB, 60GB and 80GB capacities. Migration to the SATA interface enables automotive in-dash system designers to easily integrate with the latest automotive chip-set technologies. The SATA storage interface allows automotive systems designers to reduce signal-line complexity, while supporting faster top-end data transfer rates versus Parallel-ATA (PATA) based HDDs.

Toshiba’s latest model features an operating altitude specification of 5,500 meters and supports an operating temperature range of -30 degrees to 85 degrees Celsius. The MK8057GSC can withstand operational shock of 300G, providing a rugged and dependable storage solution for automobiles operating through extreme temperatures and terrain.

Samples of Toshiba’s new 80GB SATA automotive-grade HDD are available to automotive OEMs and aftermarket suppliers, and volume production will begin in spring 2009.

For more information on Toshiba’s line of SATA and PATA automotive-grade HDDs, and for product specifications, visit Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD),  a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS).

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.