AS350 Panther - SSD Drive Apacer - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	SSD (Solid State Drive)
Brand	Apacer
Model	AS350 Panther
Form Factor	2.5 inch (7mm height)
Interface	SATA III (6.0 Gbps), backward compatible with SATA I/II
Capacity Options	128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
NAND Flash Type	3D TLC
Sequential Read Speed	Up to 560 MB/s
Sequential Write Speed	Up to 540 MB/s
Random Read (4K)	Up to 80,896 IOPS
Random Write (4K)	Up to 75,237 IOPS
MTBF	>1,500,000 hours
Endurance (TBW)	75 TB (128GB), 180 TB (256GB), 425 TB (512GB), 835 TB (1TB)
Operating Temperature	0°C to 70°C
Storage Temperature	-40°C to 70°C
Supply Voltage	5V ±5%
Power Consumption (Active)	1,260 mW (128GB) to 1,620 mW (1TB)
Power Consumption (Idle)	320 mW (128GB/512GB/1TB), 325 mW (256GB)
Dimensions (L x W x H)	100.00 x 69.85 x 6.90 mm
Weight	Approx. 60 g (estimate)
Connector	7-pin SATA signal + 15-pin SATA power
Shock Resistance	1,500 G (non-operating)
Vibration Resistance	15 G (non-operating)
Flash Management Features	Global Wear Leveling, S.M.A.R.T., TRIM, Power Failure Management
Power Management	HIPM, DIPM, DevSleep (Device Sleep)
Certifications	CE, FCC, RoHS

Frequently Asked Questions - AS350 Panther Apacer

What is the capacity of the AS350 Panther SSD?

The AS350 Panther is available in capacities of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

What are the sequential read and write speeds?

The sequential read speed is up to 560 MB/s and the sequential write speed is up to 540 MB/s across all capacities.

Does the AS350 support TRIM?

Yes, the AS350 supports the TRIM command, which helps maintain performance by allowing the operating system to inform the SSD which data blocks are no longer in use.

What is the endurance rating (TBW)?

Endurance is measured in Terabytes Written (TBW): 75 TB for 128GB, 180 TB for 256GB, 425 TB for 512GB, and 835 TB for 1TB.

What is the warranty period?

The manual does not specify a warranty period. Please contact Apacer or your retailer for warranty details.

Is the AS350 compatible with SATA II (3 Gbps) ports?

Yes, the AS350 is backward compatible with SATA 1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps interfaces, so it will work in SATA II ports, though speeds will be limited to the port's maximum.

What is the operating temperature range?

The operating temperature is 0°C to 70°C. The storage temperature range is -40°C to 70°C.

Does the AS350 have power loss protection?

Yes, it includes Power Failure Management to handle unexpected power loss. The controller stores metadata and performs block rebuilding on next power-up. Note that data cached in DRAM may be lost during sudden power loss.

What is the physical size of the SSD?

The dimensions are 100.00 x 69.85 x 6.90 mm (2.5-inch form factor with 7mm height). Weight is approximately 60 grams.

How do I install the AS350 SSD?

Installation is standard for a 2.5-inch SATA SSD: connect the SATA data cable and power cable from your system to the SSD, then mount it in a 2.5-inch drive bay or adapter. Ensure the system supports SATA and the drive is properly recognized in BIOS.

USER MANUAL AS350 Panther Apacer

AS350 Product Specifications

PANTHER Apache

Aug, 2018

Version 2.0

Apacer Technology Inc.

1F, No.32, Zhongcheng Rd., Tucheng Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan, R.O.C

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

www.apacer.com

Specifications Overview:

• Compliance with SATA Revision 3.1

• SATA 6.0 Gbps interface
• Backward compatible with SATA 1.5 and 3.0 Gbps interfaces

- Capacity

- 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

- Performance\*

• Sequential read: Up to 560 MB/sec
• Sequential write: Up to 540 MB/sec
  – Random read (4K): Up to 80,896 IOPS
  – Random write (4K): Up to 75,237 IOPS

- Flash Management

• Global Wear Leveling
• S.M.A.R.T.
  – Power Failure Management
• TRIM

• NAND Flash Type: 3D TLC

• MTBF: >1,500,000 hours

• Endurance (in Terabytes Written: TBW)

• 128 GB: 75 TBW
• 256 GB: 180 TBW
• 512 GB: 425 TBW
• 1 TB: 835 TBW

• Temperature Range

• Operating:
  Standard: 0°C to 70°C
• Storage: -40°C to 70°C

• Supply Voltage

- 5.0 V ± 5%

• Power Consumption\*

• Active mode:
  1,260 mW (128GB)
  1,450 mW (256GB)
  1,360 mW (512GB)
  1,620 mW (1TB)

• Idle mode:
  320 mW (128GB)
  325 mW (256GB)
  320 mW (512GB)
  320 mW (1TB)

- Connector Type

• 7-pin SATA signal connector
• 15-pin SATA power connector

Form Factor

• 2.5"
• Dimensions with 7mm enclosure: 100.00 x 69.85 x 6.90, unit: mm

- Shock & Vibration\*\*

• Shock:1,500 G
• Vibration: 15 G

• SATA Power Management Modes

• RoHS Compliant

Apacer

Table of Contents

1.1 Introduction....3
1.2 Performance .... 3
1.3 Pin Assignments....4
2.1 Command Set 6
2.2 S.M.A.R.T. 6
3.1 Global Wear Leveling 8
3.2 Power Failure Management 8
3.3 TRIM 8
3.4 SATA Power Management 8
4.1 Environmental 9
4.2 Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) 9
4.3 Certification and Compliance 9
4.4 Endurance....9
5.1 Operating Voltage 10
5.2 Power Consumption 10
6.1 7mm Type Dimensions....11
6.2 Part Number Listing 12

1. General Descriptions

1.1 Introduction

Apacer AS350 SSD (Solid State Drive) consists of semiconductor devices using 3D TLC NAND flash memory that provide excellent reliability and high performance for storage media. Apacer AS350 does not contain any moving parts such as platter (disk) and head media, and thus it makes the better storage solution with higher performance, reduced latencies and low power consumption for notebooks, tablets and industrial PCs. Apacer AS350 delivers all the advantages of flash memory technologies and is fully compliant with the Serial ATA I/II/III (SATA) interface and standard 2.5-inch storage drive form factor.

1.2 Performance

Performance of Apacer AS350 SSD is listed below in Table 1-2.

Table 1-1 Performance Specifications

Performance	128GB	256GB	512GB	1TB
Sequential Read* (MB/s)	560	560	560	560
Sequential Write* (MB/s)	540	540	540	540
Random Read IOPS** (4K)	65402	84850	75811	80896
Random Write IOPS** (4K)	81994	86060	68331	75237

Note:
Results may differ from various flash configurations or host system setting.
*Sequential performance was measured using ATTO with SATA 6Gbps host.

1.3 Pin Assignments

Table 1-2 describes the SFD signal segment, and Table1-3, power segment.

Figure 1-1 SATA Connectors

Signal Segment Key Signal Segment Pin S1 Power Segment Pin P1 Power Segment Key

Table 1-2 Signal Segment

Pin	Type	Description
S1	GND
S2	RxP	+ Differential Receive Signal
S3	RxDN	- Differential Receive Signal
S4	GND
S5 TxN		- Differential Transmit Signal
S6 TxP		+ Differential Transmit Signal
S7	GND

Table 1-3 Power Segment

Pin Signal/Description
P1	Unused (3.3V)
P2	Unused (3.3V)
P3	Device Sleep
P4	Ground
P5	Ground
P6	Ground
P7	5V
P8	5V
P9	5V
P10	Ground
P11	DAS
P12	Ground
P13	Unused (12V)
P14	Unused (12V)
P15	Unused (12V)

Apacer

graph LR
    subgraph_Host_Chip["Host Chip, PCB & Connector"]
        A1["Host Tx+"] --> B1["GND"]
        A2["Host Tx-"] --> B2["A+"]
        A3["Host Rx-"] --> B3["A-"]
        A4["Host Rx+"] --> B4["GND"]
        B1 --> C1["Key 1"]
        B2 --> C2["Key 2"]
        B3 --> C3["Key 3"]
        B4 --> C4["Key 4"]
        B5 --> C5["Key 5"]
        B6 --> C6["Key 6"]
        B7 --> C7["Key 7"]
    end

    subgraph Cable & Connectors["Cable & Connectors"]
        D1["Device Chip"] --> E1["Cable Receptacle"]
        D2["Device Chip"] --> E2["Cable Receptacle"]
        D3["Device Chip"] --> E3["Cable Receptacle"]
        D4["Device Chip"] --> E4["Cable Receptacle"]
        D5["Device Chip"] --> E5["Cable Receptacle"]
        D6["Device Chip"] --> E6["Cable Receptacle"]
        D7["Device Chip"] --> E7["Cable Receptacle"]
        D8["Device Chip"] --> E8["Cable Receptacle"]
        D9["Device Chip"] --> E9["Cable Receptacle"]
        D10["Device Chip"] --> E10["Cable Receptacle"]
        D11["Device Chip"] --> E11["Cable Receptacle"]
        D12["Device Chip"] --> E12["Cable Receptacle"]
    end

    subgraph_Device_Chip["Device Chip, PCB & Connector"]
        F1["Dev Rx+"] --> G1["GND"]
        F2["Dev Rx-"] --> G2["A+"]
        F3["Dev Tx-"] --> G3["A-"]
        F4["Dev Tx+"] --> G4["GND"]
        F5["Dev Tx-"] --> G5["B-"]
        F6["Dev Tx+"] --> G6["B+"]
        F7["Dev Tx+"] --> G7["GND"]
    end

    A1 --> B1
    A2 --> B2
    A3 --> B3
    A4 --> B4
    A5 --> B5
    A6 --> B6
    A7 --> B7
    A8 --> B8
    A9 --> B9
    A10 --> B10
    B1 --> C1
    B2 --> C2
    B3 --> C3
    B4 --> C4
    B5 --> C5
    B6 --> C6
    B7 --> C7
    B8 --> C8
    B9 --> C9
    B10 --> C10
    B11 --> C11
    B12 --> C12
    B13 --> C13
    B14 --> C14
    B15 --> C15
    B16 --> C16
    B17 --> C17
    B18 --> C18
    B19 --> C19
    B20 --> C20
    B21 --> C21
    B22 --> C22
    B23 --> C23
    B24 --> C24
    B25 --> C25
    B26 --> C26
    B27 --> C27
    B28 --> C28
    B29 --> C29
    B30 --> C30
    B31 --> C31
    B32 --> C32
    B33 --> C33
    B34 --> C34
    B35 --> C35
    B36 --> C36
    B37 --> C37
    B38 --> C38
    B39 --> C39
    B40 --> C40
    B41 --> C41
    B42 --> C42
    B43 --> C43
    B44 --> C44
    B45 --> C45
    B46 --> C46
    B47 --> C47
    B48 --> C48
    B49 --> C49
    B50 --> C50
    B51 --> C51
    B52 --> C52
    B53 --> C53
    B54 --> C54
    B55 --> C55
    B56 --> C56
    B57 --> C57
    B58 --> C58
    B59 --> C59
    B60 --> C60
    B61 --> C61
    B62 --> C62
    B63 --> C63
    B64 --> C64
    B65 --> C65
    B66 --> C66
    B67 --> C67
    B68 --> C68
    B69 --> C69
    B70 --> C70
    style HostChip fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style Cable&Connectors fill:#ccf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Figure 1-2 SATA Cable/Connector Connection Diagram

The connector on the left represents the Host with TX/RX differential pairs connected to a cable. The connector on the right shows the Device with TX/RX differential pairs also connected to the cable. Notice also the ground path connecting the shielding of the cable to the Cable Receptacle.

2. Software Interface

2.1 Command Set

Table 2-1 summarizes the ATA commands supported by Apacer AS350 SSD.
Table 2-1 Command Set

Code	Command	Code	Command
E5h	Check Power Mode	F6h	Security Disable Password
90h	Execute Diagnostics	F3h	Security Erase Prepare
E7h	Flush Cache	F4h	Security Erase Unit
ECh	Identify Device	F5h	Security Freeze Lock
E3h	Idle	F1h	Security Set Password
E1h	Idle Immediate	F2h	Security Unlock
91h	Initialize Device Parameters	7Xh	Seek
C8h	Read DMA	EFh	Set Features
25h	Read DMA EXT	C6h	Set Multiple Mode
60h	Read FPDMA Queued	E6h	Sleep
47h	Read Log DMA EXT	B0h	S.M.A.R.T.
2Fh	Read Log EXT	E2h	Standby
C4h	Read Multiple	E0h	Standby Immediate
20 or 21h	Read Sector(s)	CAh	Write DMA
40 or 41h	Read Verify Sector(s)	35h	Write DMA EXT
10h	Recalibrate	61h	Write FPDMA Queued
57h	Write Log DMA EXT	3Fh	Write Log EXT
C5h	Write Multiple	30h or 31h	Write Sector(s)

2.2 S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T. is an abbreviation for Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology, a self-monitoring system that provides indicators of drive health as well as potential disk problems. It serves as a warning for users from unscheduled downtime by monitoring and displaying critical drive information. Ideally, this should allow taking proactive actions to prevent drive failure and make use of S.M.A.R.T. information for future product development reference.

Apacer devices use the standard S.M.A.R.T. command B0h to read data out from the drive to activate our S.M.A.R.T. feature that complies with the ATA/ATAPI specifications. S.M.A.R.T. Attribute IDs shall include initial bad block count, total later bad block count, maximum erase count, average erase count, power on hours and power cycle. When the S.M.A.R.T. Utility running on the host, it analyzes and reports the disk status to the host before the device reaches in critical condition.

Apacer

Apacer memory products come with S.M.A.R.T. commands and subcommands for users to obtain information of drive status and to predict potential drive failures. Users can take advantage of the following commands/subcommands to monitor the health of the drive.

Code	SMART Subcommand
D0h	READ DATA
D1h	READ ATTRIBUTE THRESHOLDS
D2h	Enable/Disable Attribute Autosave
D4h	Execute Off-line Immediate
D5h	Read Log (optional)
D6h	Write Log (optional)
D8h	Enable Operations
D9h	Disable operations
DAh	Return Status

General SMART attribute structure

Byte	Description
0	ID (Hex)
1 – 2	Status flag
3 Value
4 Worst
5*-11	Raw Data

*Byte 5: LSB

SMART attribute ID list

ID (Hex)	Attribute Name
9 (0x09)	Power-on hours
12 (0x0C)	Power cycle count
163 (0xA3)	Max. erase count
164 (0xA4)	Avg. erase count
166 (0xA6)	Total later bad block count
167 (0xA7)	SSD Protect Mode (vendor specific)
168 (0xA8)	SATA PHY Error Count
175 (0xAF)	Bad Cluster Table Count
192 (0xC0)	Unexpected Power Loss Count
194 (0xC2)	Temperature
241 (0xF1)	Total sectors of write

3. Flash Management

3.1 Global Wear Leveling

Flash memory devices differ from Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) in terms of how blocks are utilized. For HDDs, when a change is made to stored data, like erase or update, the controller mechanism on HDDs will perform overwrites on blocks. Unlike HDDs, flash blocks cannot be overwritten and each P/E cycle wears down the lifespan of blocks gradually. Repeatedly program/erase cycles performed on the same memory cells will eventually cause some blocks to age faster than others. This would bring flash storages to their end of service term sooner. Global wear leveling is an important mechanism that levels out the wearing of all blocks so that the wearing-down of all blocks can be almost evenly distributed. This will increase the lifespan of SSDs.

3.2 Power Failure Management

Power Failure Management plays a crucial role when experiencing unstable power supply. Power disruption may occur when users are storing data into the SSD. In this urgent situation, the controller would run multiple write-to-flash cycles to store the metadata for later block rebuilding. This urgent operation requires about several milliseconds to get it done. At the next power up, the firmware will perform a status tracking to retrieve the mapping table and resume previously programmed NAND blocks to check if there is any incompleteness of transmission.

Note: The controller unit of this product model is designed with a DRAM as a write cache for improved performance and data efficiency. Though unlikely to happen in most cases, the data cached in the volatile DRAM might be potentially affected if a sudden power loss takes place before the cached data is flushed into non-volatile NAND flash memory.

3.3 TRIM

TRIM is a SATA command that helps improve the read/write performance and efficiency of solid-state drives (SSD). The command enables the host operating system to inform SSD controller which blocks contain invalid data, mostly because of the erase commands from host. The invalid will be discarded permanently and the SSD will retain more space for itself.

3.4 SATA Power Management

Complying with SATA 6.0 Gb/s specifications, the SSD supports the following SATA power saving modes:

● ACTIVE: PHY ready, full power, Tx & Rx operational
● PARTIAL: Reduces power, resumes in under 10 μs (microseconds)
● SLUMBER: Reduces power, resumes in under 10 ms (milliseconds)
● HIPM: Host-Initiated Power Management
● DIPM: Device-Initiated Power Management
● AUTO-SLUMBER: Automatic transition from partial to slumber.
● Device Sleep (DevSleep or DEVSLP): PHY powered down; power consumption ≤ 5 mW; host assertion time ≤ 10 ms; exit timeout from this state ≤ 20 ms (unless specified otherwise in SATA Identify Device Log).

Note: The behaviors of power management features would depend on host/device settings.

4. Reliability Specifications

4.1 Environmental

Environmental specifications of Apacer AS350 SSD are shown in Table 5-1.

Table 5-1 Environmental Specifications

Environment	Specifications
Temperature	0°C to 70°C (Standard)
	-40°C to 100°C (Non-operating)
Vibration	Non-operating: Sine wave, 15(G), 10~2000(Hz), Operating: Random, 7.69(Grms), 20~2000(Hz)
Shock	Non-operating: Acceleration, 1,500 G, 0.5 ms Operating: Peak acceleration, 50 G, 11 ms

4.2 Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) is predicted based on reliability data for the individual components in AS350. The prediction result for AS350 is more than 1,500,000 hours.

Note: The MTBF is predicated and calculated based on "Telcordia Technologies Special Report, SR-332, Issue 2" method.

4.3 Certification and Compliance

Apacer AS350 SSD complies with the following standards:

• CE
• FCC
- RoHS

4.4 Endurance

The endurance of a storage device is predicted by TeraBytes Written based on several factors related to usage, such as the amount of data written into the drive, block management conditions, and daily workload for the drive. Thus, key factors, such as Write Amplifications and the number of P/E cycles, can influence the lifespan of the drive.

Table 5-2 Endurance Specifications

Capacity	TeraBytes Written
128GB	75
256GB	180
512GB	425
1TB	835

Note:

- The measurement assumes the data written to the SSD for test is under a typical and constant rate.

• The measurement follows the standard metric: 1 TB (Terabyte) = 1,000 GB.

- The estimated values are based on JEDEC Enterprise endurance workload comprised of random data with the payload size distribution with sequential write behavior.

5. Electrical Specifications

5.1 Operating Voltage

Table 6-1 lists the supply voltage for AS350.

Table 6-1 Operating Range

Item	Range
Supply Voltage	5V ± 5% (4.75-5.25V)

5.2 Power Consumption

Table 6-2 lists the power consumption for AS350.

Table 6-2 Power Consumption

Mode	128GB	256GB	512GB	1TB
Active (mW)	1260	1450	1360	1620
Idle (mW)	320	325	320	320

Note:
*All values are typical and may vary depending on flash configurations or host system settings.
**Active power is an average power measurement performed using CrystalDiskMark with 128KB sequential read/write transfers.

6. Physical Characteristics

6.1 7mm Type Dimensions

2-M3x0.5 Mounting Holes Depth 4.0mm Min Full Thread 1.5mm 69.85±0.25 100.20±0.25 90.60±0.25 14.00±0.25 3.00±0.25 7.00±0.15 3.50±0.38 min 1.50

Figure 7-1 7mm Housing Physical Dimensions

6.2 Part Number Listing

Capacity	Retail PN	Bulk PN
128GB	95.DB260.P100C	85.DB260.B100C
256GB	95.DB2A0.P100C 85.DB2A0.B100C
512GB	95.DB2E0.P100C 85.DB2E0.B100C
1TB	95.DB2G0.P100C 85.DB2G0.B100C

Revision History

Revision	Description	Date
1.0	Official release	8/9/2018
2.0	Document layout change	8/20/2018

Global Presence

Taiwan (Headquarters)

Apacer Technology Inc.

1F., No.32, Zhongcheng Rd., Tucheng Dist.,

New Taipei City 236, Taiwan R.O.C.

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

Japan

Apacer Technology Corp.

6F, Daiyontamachi Bldg., 2-17-12, Shibaura, Minato-Ku,

Tokyo, 108-0023, Japan

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

China

Apacer Electronic (Shanghai) Co., Ltd

Room D, 22/FL, No.2, Lane 600, JieyunPlaza,

Tianshan RD, Shanghai, 200051, China

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

U.S.A.

Apacer Memory America, Inc.

46732 Lakeview Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

Europe

Apacer Technology B.V.

Science Park Eindhoven 5051 5692 EB Son,

The Netherlands

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

India

Apacer Technologies Pvt Ltd,

Unit No.201, "Brigade Corner", 7 ^th Block

Jayanagar,

Yediyur Circle, Bangalore – 560082, India

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]