SST and Insyde unveil FlashMate technology
Flash vendor, Silicon Storage Technology Inc (SST) and Insyde Software Corp, a leading provider of UEFI-based firmware, BIOS and engineering services, have announced the joint development of FlashMate technology, enabling new usage models to notebook PC consumers that will revolutionise their portable computing experience.
FlashMate technology utilises a fully integrated hardware, firmware and software architecture to provide alternative hybrid-drive functionality to notebooks and total access to hard disk drive content even while the CPU is off. By managing the peripherals, FlashMate enables a wide range of new applications while the main system is either in pre-boot, standby, hibernate or completely shut down. FlashMate technology provides benefits beyond that of a hybrid-drive by giving users the ability to instantly access the content on the hard disk drive without having to power on the notebook for listening to MP3 files, viewing digital pictures, accessing email and more.
FlashMate technology combines SST’s expertise in NAND flash controllers and memory subsystem design with Insyde Software’s expertise in PC BIOS, system software and power management to create a complete application subsystem. For example, working in conjunction with features such as Windows Vista ReadyDrive, the new FlashMate technology serves as nonvolatile cache for the hard disk drive, thus transforming a standard hard disk drive to perform hybrid-drive functions.
Hybrid-drives feature a hard disk drive with a NAND flash drive acting as data cache. By using a NAND flash memory buffer when the system is active, the notebook’s hard drive is rarely engaged, leading to better hard drive reliability, reduced power consumption, increased performance, and faster boot and resume times. Furthermore, FlashMate enhances the functionality of Microsoft Windows Vista SideShow and other third-party applications by giving notebook users access to hard-disk data and various applications via the notebook’s USB interface without having to engage the CPU.
