NVMeHard Disk Drives (HDDs)are a new storage system product family currently going through development and validation. It’s expected that some of these products will be released in 2023 or 2024.
HDDs store memory on a spinning disk and are slower than solid-state drives (SSDs). So, why new HDDs? The new devices are said to use less power and cooling, making them more economical. They also simplify the interfaces needed to transfer data to them.
这将是特别有利于data-center operators, providing an alternative to serial advanced technology attachment (SATA), serial-attached SCSI (SAS), and/or Fibre Channel (FC) devices, interfaces, and bridges.
Additionally, interconnect suppliers are working closely with OEMs and end-users to develop advanced, internal cable assembly and connector products. Much like NVMe SSDs, internal NVMe HDD connectors and cables are expected to gain market growth due to increasing demand in the coming years.
HDD和SSD都使用相同类型的连接器和电缆。通过依赖于不同存储技术设备的相同接口协议，最小化延迟并提高系统效率。
As the latest NVMe HDDs become available, they could become more competitive compared to SAS and Fibre Channel (FC) devices in data center cool and cold-archiving applications and main-storage applications.
For SATA, SAS, and FC controller-chip companies, the rise of NVMe devices reflects a transition phase in the marketplace. NVMe works more closely with the motherboard, eliminating the need for a SAS or SATA controller.
Depending on the form-factor type (direct blade or box drop-in module), it’s possible that the new NVMe HDDs could use the internal, shielded SFF TA 1020 connector family or older universal type SFF-8369 connectors and internal cables — much like the popular NVMe SSD drives.
Although certain products might then need to comply with older, installed form-factor systems and could benefit from the use of an SFF TA 1016 connector and cabling system. The SFF TA 1020 and SFF TA 1016 offer different pin-count connectors available depending on the circuit design.
It’s expected that the NVMe 2.0 Specification will soon include information on the new NVMe HDD interconnections. The GenZ Consortium, which is made up of computer industry companies dedicated to creating and commercializing new data-access technology, has offered SFF TA 1020 specs related to the connector and cable assembly options that are based on the original SFF TA 1002 spec. It can support future speed rates to 56G and 112G PAM4 per-lane links.
SAS.HDDshave a history of 11 technologies, with major product generations going back decades. Each generational spec typically included multiple new connector standards and cable-assembly family types, such as SCA, VHDCI, or HDminiSAS. This resulted in a large increase of inter-generational cable assembly adapters and single generation types.
The 11thgeneration INCITS T10 group’s most recentSAS.5.0规范，以及Genz和OCP NIC 3.0规范，建议使用SFFTA1002要么SFFTA1020connectors and cables. This is a somewhat rare agreement between several organizations about the application of the same connector specifications. This also occurred with the ubiquitous Type C connector with consumer and prosumer devices.
However, some large OEMs and end-user companies are using different connector types, which is typical in the storage industry.
Until the newer HDDs and related interconnections hit the market, that sector is trending downward compared to the rapidly increasing demand for newer storage devices, including SSDs.
TheSFFTA1026.是由Molex开发的竞争屏蔽，内部存储连接器和布线解决方案。这些设备仅适用于32G NRZ每通道链路性能（和成本）和目标PCIe 4.0 16GT＆SAS 4.0 22Gbps内部连接器和电缆应用。
SFF TA 1026规范提供了若干详细的布线解决方案，主要取代了较旧的PCIe 2.0和PCIe 3.0标准内部Oculink连接器和电缆组件。内部USB 4.0类型C电缆也已在大多数新应用程序中替换Oculink使用，例如使用服务器固件移植。
TheSFFTA1016非屏蔽，内部连接器和电缆选项比SFF TA 1002更高的存储市场击中了存储市场。由AMPHENOL开发，SFF TA 1016有四个主要针计尺寸和几个方向。它还与老一代24G NRZ每车道Slimsas和Slimline内部，存储连接器和电缆竞争。
SATAHDDshave been losing the market share for some time now and have typically been replaced by SATA SSDs — which are also now, slowly losing the market share to NVMe SSDs. New interconnect requirements will likely be released soon for multi-activator drives, which are used in some of the newer SATA and SAS products (follow Seagate on the company’s connector use). Much of the remaining SATA internal connectors and cables business is in the mature stage of product life, supporting a large installed base.
FC.HDDs长期以来在内部系统中替换，因为FC主要是SAN外部接口。但是，有FC磁带驱动系统使用内部自定义电缆。通常，下一代FC交换机和控制器卡使用内部和屏蔽SFF TA 1020连接器和电缆来支持112-124G PAM4信令。
以太网HDDsare a type of external drive designed to connect directly to network-attached storage (NAS) systems. In this case, mostly Ethernet external connectors and cables are used. These systems tend to be quite low-cost and represent a moderate portion of the HDD TAM market with some new growth still anticipated.
Observations
除了较新的HDD内部，屏蔽标准连接器和电缆外，还有几种新的专有形状连接器和与存储系统开发人员流行的Twinax电缆组件。
Driven by an increase in internal high-speed IO cabling applications and volume demand, some OEMs are relying on non-standardized supplier products. A few examples include Amphenol’s Overpass, Samtec’s SI-Fly, TE’s Sliver, and Luxshare Tech’s ULP high-speed IO interconnect product solutions. These devices can be found in some current and next-generation storage HDD and SSD systems.
HDD内部IO电缆设计师还可以利用新的未加工的双轴电缆，该电缆可以将3米扁平箔屏蔽和LuxShare Tech的高性能Optimax Twinax绝缘体和导体相结合。这可能是公司新伙伴关系的目标。
Newer persistent memory devices will take some of the market share in certain storage applications as alternatives to well-established SSD or HDD technologies. Driven by OCP Consortia and other groups, these devices are smaller and use less power. They’d mostly use the SFF TA 1020 connectors and cables.
For the latest updates, consider reviewing the recent storage-related presentations made at the OCP Summit meeting day and the SNIA.org SDC conference. Check their websites and others, such as the SNIA/SFF and INCITS T10.org meetings. Also, use the SAS Integrators Guide for new topologies and interconnects. The SFF-9402 specifications provide insights for several different pinouts for internal storage drive-cabling and connector adaptors.
After decades of connector and cable options for storage systems, the market and its segments offer several options for high-speed HDDs and controllers. (I have been directly involved with developing 15 generations of storage interfaces and interconnects and am still astonished by the new technologies, forecasting, and solutions that evolve each year.)
Filed Under:Connector Tips
