Icy Dock, which makes computer data storage and enclosure peripherals for industrial and rugged computer data storage, announced the ToughArmor MB924IP-B that's designed to handle up to 24 2.5-inch SAS/SATA SSD/HDDs up to 7mm in height. The device only takes up three full-sized 5.25-inch device bays, often found on many workstation-grade PCs used in the enterprise.
To connect all of those drives with the system, Icy Dock has implemented a solution that reduces cable clutter and helps with cable management. Six MiniSAS HD (SFF-8643) connectors on the back of the device connect all 24 drives to the system, providing up to 12 Gbps if transfer speed per SAS drive or up to 6 Gbps for SATA drives, providing some flexibility.
Six SATA 15-pin connectors connect at the backside of the ToughArmor device to power the system. In the middle of the backside, there is an 80 mm fan placed to provide cooling for the drives and enable a normal operating temperature. It can be controlled by a physical switch that has three modes: H, L, and Off. This is a standard 80 mm fan, and it can be replaced with an aftermarket solution for even quieter operation.
In the case of a drive failure or a simple upgrade, you can hot-swap the drives using the integrated EZ-Slide Nano 2.5-inch drive trays. Each drive tray is EMI-grounded, along with the rest of the case. Designed for the toughest environments and high-density storage, the ToughArmor MB924IP-B is made out of full metal construction (likely steel) that is ideal for industrial use-cases like "various enterprise systems, including the medical, military, law enforcement industries, and manufacturing conditions such as embedded control and factory automation systems."
The Icy Dock ToughArmor MB924IP-B is currently listed on Amazon for $792.70, without shipping. The product is available for purchase now; however, we don't have any information about shipping costs.
