SATA-IO Specs for CE Industry

The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), the industry consortium dedicated to sustaining Serial ATA (SATA) technology, is developing the SATA Universal Storage Module (USM) specification for portable storage applications.

The USM specification will enable developers to incorporate slots into televisions, game consoles, set-top boxes, computers, docking stations and other consumer electronics applications that will accept powered, cable free storage modules with integrated standard SATA interfaces for expanding storage capacity. By utilizing SATA, the most widely implemented storage interface, USM devices extend the speed and reliability of volume storage I/O to the consumer electronics market, and eliminate the need for a separate cable or power supply.

The SATA USM specification is the first standard specification to define slots to accept a complete, powered external storage device into consumer electronic devices. Modules, slots and interfaces designed according to the SATA USM specification will enable consumers to instantly access their music, movies, photos and other content from a variety of consumer electronics products, and to seamlessly transfer content between devices without the aid of additional power or cables. The integrated SATA interface supports transfer speeds up to 6 GB/s, offering users the same speed and reliability they’ve come to expect from their hard drives and other SATA-based devices. It degrades speed to support Gen 1(1.5GB/s) or Gen 2 (3GB/s) drives.

SATA-IO expects the USM specification to be completed and available later this year. A complimentary specification defining the size requirements for USM devices and CE slots is being developed by the Small Form Factor Committee (SFF) and should also be available this year.

Consumer electronics manufacturers are already embracing the USM specification. SATA-IO and Seagate Technology LLC. are partnering to sponsor the first public demonstration of USM prototype devices at CES Unveiled this week, highlighting the variety of applications enabled by the USM specification. The demonstration will showcase proposed products such as: a television, notebook computer, DVR and docking station sharing content via a USM module. The showcase will feature prospective products from Antec, GIEC, Hi-Sense, Ionics and Thermaltake and more.