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Today we had the chance to speak directly with representatives from TCS about their newest addition to their line of SSDs, the Galatea SSD. TCS is a world leader in highly reliable and secure mobile communication technology that was founded in 1987.
The SSD side of the business, TRW components, was recently incorporated into TCS in February of 2011. This has ushered in major Cap-Ex investments and R&D improvements in the military and industrial space.
The core components of the TCS company are SSDs for military and industrial applications, electronic components for satellites, and tracking and telemetry for the space program. This experience affords TCS with the highly technical background to succeed in the SSD market.
The new Galatea range of SSDs will be used in ruggedized applications, where data security and reliability are key. TCS is already involved in many key ruggedized sectors, including Flight Data Recorders.
Leveraging the reliability of the proven SF-1565 SATA II controller, this SSD boasts speeds of 279/270MB/s read/write speed, respectively. Speed is not the major goal of a device such as this, however, it is all about reliability and data integrity in the harshest of all environments.
To gain this ultra reliability, TCS has started with slc NAND as the medium for data, and thrown in a hefty bit of over provisioning at 25 percent of the SSDs capacity. This is applied in tandem with an advanced error correction (ECC) that is twice the industry standard. These steps are taken to ensure the reliability, endurance, and integrity of all data placed on the drive.
The next requirement for this class of SSD is data security. With 128-bit AES encryption and full drive Secure Erasure in less than 1 second, and cryptographic full drive erasure in under 15 seconds, there is a high level of trust that can be placed in the security of the data. Tantalum Caps are also used to ensure that data can be written, or erased, in the event of a power loss issue.
In the types of applications that these drives will be placed, this type of protection is an absolute requirement. With the recent capture of a top-secret US drone over the decidedly unfriendly skies in Iran, data security is on the top of everyone’s mind.
The mapping data, recorded information, encrypted radio communication codes, and a whole host of very sensitive data is contained on these types of devices, and that is exactly the type of data that this SSD is designed to protect.
In todays high tech battlefields, every vehicle, and now even the soldiers themselves, hold valuable data. Of interest here is that TCS technology is also planning on moving into the man-wearable packs that the soldier of the future will wear. This merely highlights the level at which sensitive data is being integrated into these harsh environments.
The mastering of harsh environments is also key to the viability of this type of device. Adhering to the MIL-STD-810 military specs governing the requirements for shock, vibration, temperature range, shock , humidity and altitude specification guarantees that these are the hardiest of SSDs.
Speaking with their representatives , we really sense a great deal of enthusiasm for their products, and the energy that has been injected into their division with the acquisition from TCS. The influx of funding and R&D will certainly help to further their innovation into this market segment.
One of the key differentiators from other companies that TCS has is their level of customization and support after the sale that they can offer their customers. Building on this reputation of customer service and ultimate reliability in their products will surely lead to even greater heights for TCS!
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