LSI Announces IC

MILPITAS, Calif. -- LSI Corporation (NYSE: LSI) today announced the availability of the TrueStore PA8800, the company’s latest high-performance, low-power preamplifier integrated circuit (IC) specifically designed for use in 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch desktop and enterprise hard disk drives (HDDs).

The new PA8800 preamplifier utilizes LSI second generation silicon-germanium processes to deliver the industry’s fastest published operating speeds at 3.3 gigabits-per-second (Gbps), while consuming nearly 30 percent less power than the previous product generation designed for the same market segments. The innovative power-saving features of the PA8800 help to reduce the operating costs associated with electrical power and cooling, while the decreased heat dissipation delivers greater drive reliability.

“The preamplifier is an important contributor to the performance, power consumption, and cost of the total hard drive,” said Shane Rau, IDC's computing and storage semiconductor analyst. “In desktop applications, lower power means increased HDD reliability. In network server environments, with hundreds of hard drives running in a single server room, lowering power consumption can also result in significant cost savings through reduced electricity bills. Also, at 10-15% of the typical HDD's chip content cost, choosing the right preamp is a factor in the drive's final price competitiveness.”

LSI Corp.