SATA Storage: Oxford Semiconductor SATA Storage Controller Combines Ubiquity With Speed
Oxford Semiconductor has announced the latest in its 93X family of next generation storage controllers. Bridging from USB2.0 and eSATA ports to the SATA II disk interface, the OXU931DS ensures high performance external storage connectivity for all current and emerging PC and Mac platforms.
With one of the chip's two integrated SATA cores and PHYs configurable as either a host or a device port, the controller actually offers disk enclosure designers the option of either the 3Gbps eSATA interface or an interface to a second SATA hard disk.
In its dual SATA disk mode, the OXU931DS supports both disk striping (RAID 0) and disk spanning for larger storage capacity applications, via the standard USB2.0 interface.
This ARM7 processor based controller is also one of the first in its class to offer the benefits of full software control of the eSATA data path. External storage designers have as a result the ability to increase product differentiation through the addition of functionality such as button-push back-up.
The high-speed read and write data transfer provided by the storage controller's embedded USB2.0 core means that host performance is able to be maintained at maximum. The USB interface handles full and high speed modes, employs bulk-only transport Mass Storage Class device protocol and is backwards compatible with USB1.1.
The OXU931DS storage controller comes complete with Windows and Mac OS compatible drivers for standard storage and button notification applications and for control of the chip's 12 GPIOs. Firmware is easily upgraded via the USB port. Evaluation boards are available through distribution channels.
About Oxford Semiconductor:
Oxford Semiconductor is a global leader in storage and connectivity technology and provides a broad portfolio of "System on Chip" products enabling electronic devices to exchange or back-up data and share resources.
The company's high performance connectivity solutions are an essential ingredient in a diverse range of highly differentiated end products, from external data storage and mobile phones to printers and point-of-sale equipment.
Oxford's market leading product portfolio includes:
- Direct-attached (FireWire / USB / RAID) and network-attached storage (NAS) controllers.
- Serial communication bridges for PCI, miniPCI, Compact Flash and PC Cards.
- USB host, peripheral and On-The-Go controllers.
- Network connectivity controllers.
Founded in 1992, Oxford Semiconductor is a privately held fabless company headquartered in San Jose, California with its key design center in Abingdon, UK and sales support offices worldwide. For more information visit www.oxsemi.com.
SOURCE: Oxford Semiconductor