Rockwell Automation 6181X-12TPXPDC Industrial Integrated Computers for Hazardous Locations - Manual (Page 59)

Rockwell Automation Publication 6181X-UM001B-EN-P - May 2011 59
Appendix
D
Solid-state Drive
Overview A reliable means of data storage is a concern in industrial applications with harsh
requirements. Standard rotating media with its spinning platters and head arms
(with temperature limitations) present obstacles to the reliable storage of data.
This line of computers contains solid-state drives (SSD) in the form of a
CompactFlash drive, which are a direct replacement for rotating hard disk drives
on the IDE bus. They are drop-in replacements for their hard disk drive
counterparts.
Solid-state drives offer these improvements over the standard hard disk drive:
• Improved thermal performance
• Higher levels of shock and vibration
• Less power required
• Longer data retention
• No moving parts
The rotating hard disk drive is susceptible to shock and vibration. This weakness
becomes more apparent as the temperature increases. Although the solid-state
drive offers improvements in these areas, you must consider limitations of other
key components within your systems before choosing to replace hard disk drives.
The decrease in the cost per megabyte of memory in flash drives is making the
solid-state drive a viable alternative, especially in harsh industrial environments.