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QuickLogic and Hitachi Collaborate on Low-Power Hard Drive Solution

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

QuickLogic Corporation and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies have announced a collaboration that enables the integration of Hitachi's one-inch Microdrive hard drive with QuickLogic's QuickIDE bridge controller, providing a low-power mass storage solution for Intel-based portable consumer electronics.

The Microdrive 3K8 hard drive features a reduced footprint and power consumption, making it suitable for integration into mobile phones and other ultra-miniature consumer electronic devices. The drive has a maximum capacity of 8GB and is available exclusively for embedded applications. As consumers demand higher quality video playback, the processor and hard drive must keep up with the increased demands, posing a challenge for designers who require a native IDE interface in the system.

To address this challenge, QuickLogic created a companion device to connect Hitachi Microdrive disk drives to Intel(R) PXA2xx processors. The company has spent several hundred engineering hours confirming the interoperability of the QuickIDE bridge controller and Microdrive solution through system-level benchmark tests.

"QuickLogic has enabled Microdrive hard drives to connect to embedded processors in the most energy-efficient manner - without sacrificing performance," said Kevin Yee, Director of Business Development at QuickLogic. "This collaboration with Hitachi will help product designers achieve parameters like low CPU utilization, low-power consumption, and small footprints, enabling them to deliver compelling handheld consumer electronic devices."

Key Takeaways:

  • QuickLogic and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies collaborate on a low-power hard drive solution, enabling integration of Hitachi's Microdrive hard drive with QuickLogic's QuickIDE bridge controller.
  • The Microdrive 3K8 hard drive features a reduced footprint, power consumption, and maximum capacity of 8GB, making it suitable for mobile phones and other ultra-miniature consumer electronic devices.
  • QuickLogic has spent several hundred engineering hours confirming the interoperability of the QuickIDE bridge controller and Microdrive solution through system-level benchmark tests.
  • The actual performance and market acceptance of QuickLogic's products, including solutions produced as a result of this partnership, may differ from any forward-looking statements.
  • The QuickIDE bridge controller is available now, selling for less than $5 in volume quantities.
  • The partnership between QuickLogic and Hitachi aims to help product designers achieve parameters like low CPU utilization, low-power consumption, and small footprints, enabling them to deliver compelling handheld consumer electronic devices.

Statistics:

  • Several hundred engineering hours were spent confirming the interoperability of the QuickIDE bridge controller and Microdrive solution.
  • The maximum capacity of the Microdrive 3K8 hard drive is 8GB.
  • The theoretical maximum effective transfer rate of the Microdrive is 5.1-10 MB/sec sustained data rate.
  • The companion device sells for less than $5 in volume quantities.
  • QuickLogic has developed an ecosystem of industry leaders in low-power embedded processors, wireless, and storage peripherals.

Sources:

  • QuickLogic Corporation press release, [undated]
  • Hitachi Global Storage Technologies press release, [undated]
  • "Safe Harbor Statement Under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995" by QuickLogic Corporation, [undated]
  • "About QuickLogic" section from QuickLogic Corporation's website, [undated]

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