Tech Brief
Using SATA NANDrive™ to Replace Industrial Grade CFast Cards
Why Do Systems Use CFast?
CFast is an extension of the Compact Flash standard and is effectively a Serial ATA (SATA) equivalent of the Parallel ATA
based (PATA) CompactFlash (CF) cards. CFast cards support a higher transfer rate than CF cards, but are not electrically ormechanically compatible. Industrial grade (SLC NAND-based) CFast cards are typically used in embedded applications requiringhigh endurance and long life. While the removable aspect of CFast cards may be useful for some applications, they are notsuitable for storing sensitive user data and embedded systems used in high vibration and shock environments.

NANDrive™ Advantage Over CFast Cards

For embedded applications that require high security,
NANDrive offers advanced features that are not often found intoday’s CFast cards, such as user-selectable protection zones
and military-grade erase / purge commands. NANDrive’s
built-in power interrupt data protection ensures data integrity
and reliability by detecting and subsequently recovering frompower failures. NANDrive also incorporates a debug port tohelp reduce the design cycle and provides user-configurable
zones to optimize product performance in the field.

Embedded Platforms
GPSI2C

Touchscreen
Controller

SPIColor
Display

DisplayController

Bluetooth

UART

SensorSensorInterface

CPUImaging /Video / Audio
Accelerator

2D / 3D
Graphics
Accelerator

Image Signal
Processor

FeatureForm Factor

www.NANDrive.com

Typical Design Using SATA NANDrive

Industrial Grade SATA NANDrive Compared to Industrial CFast Cards
Category

SATA Interface

As the size of embedded systems continues to shrink, there
is a need for more power efficient and smaller form factor
storage than offered by CFast cards. At about the sizeof a postage stamp, industrial grade (SLC NAND-based)
NANDrive solid state drives (SSDs) are an ideal replacement.
No extra connectors are needed because NANDrive issoldered directly onto the PCB, making it resistant to shockand vibration. In addition, no host software changes arerequired if SATA NANDrive is used in place of a CFast card.

Characteristic

SATA NANDrive

CFast Cards

Capacity

2 GB to 32 GB

1 GB to 64 GB

Host Interface

SATA 2.0 Compatible

CFast 1.0 / 2.0

Power Consumption(Sleep Mode)

70 mW (typical)

360 mW (typical)

PowerManagement

Zero wake-up latency
without host intervention

SATA host support

Separate Debug
InterfaceYes

No

User-Configurable
Function Zones

Yes

No

NAND Type

SLC

SLC

OperatingTemperature-40°C to +85°C (Industrial)-40°C to +85°C (Industrial)

Package

Total area: 336 sq. mm(same ball-print for all capacities)

Total area: 1,558 sq. mm(Type I without connectors)

For more information, please contact your local Greenliant sales channel. See the “Sales” section of Greenliant.com for complete listings.
© 2014 Greenliant Systems. Greenliant, the Greenliant logo and NANDrive are either registered trademarks or trademarks of GreenliantSystems. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. These specifications are subject to change without notice.
02/2014

Applications— Tablet PC / Smartbook / Netbook— Set-top box / Net-top box— Internet-enabled TV— Industrial PC— Single-board computer— Industrial automation & control— Test & measurement instrumentation— Blade server— Gateway / Switch— Network firewall— Video surveillance— Black box data recorder— Video conferencing— GPS and telematics— In-vehicle infotainment— Multi-function printerGreenliant Systems
3970 Freedom Circle, Suite 100
Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA
Tel. 1-408-200-8000
Fax 1-408-200-8099
www.Greenliant.com