SCSI isn't dead yet — new SSD for old or obsolete systems is a boon for retro computing fans

Solid State Disks Ltd (SSDL) has released a new storage product for industries and individuals that refuse to let go of their SCSI storage-based systems. The new SCSIFlash-Fast is a 3.5-inch form factor drop-in replacement drive that can take the place of any ancient 68-pin or 80-pin connector SCSI HDD without the system even noticing. There are several touted benefits: friction-free hardware replacement, read/write speeds of up to 80 MB/s, reduced noise, reduced power consumption, a choice of Compact Flash (CF) or M.2 SSD media, and an optional Ethernet port.

Tom’s Hardware readers who are retro computing aficionados might still run old PC or Mac systems packing SCSI storage devices – just for fun. However, SSDL’s Sales & Marketing Director, James Hilken, points out that there are still systems used in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, medical, telecommunications, and other sectors “that were designed decades ago and were fitted with then state-of-the-art SCSI hard disk drives.” Hilken notes that many SCSI HDDs will be 20 years or older and, as well as being obsolete and irreplaceable like-for-like, these drives are “increasingly failing.”

SCSIFlash-Fast is configurable as a slick swap-in upgrade or replacement for that creaking SCSI drive you still rely on. SSDL says that buyers can configure to order so the newly purchased flash-based drive will “replicate the exact behavior of the SCSI HDD it replaces, meaning no modifications need to be made to the host system.” To this end, SCSIFlash-Fast can be set for SASI, SCSI-1, SCSI-2, or Ultra3 host compatibility, and disk sector sizes of 256, 512, 768, 1,024, 2,048, or 4,096 bytes.

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