The Small Form Factor Committee ( SFF ) is an ad hoc electronics industry group formed to quickly develop interoperability specifications (as a complement to the traditional standards process).
6-515: The SFF Committee was formed in 1990 to define the emerging disk drive form factor for laptop computers. In November 1992, the members broadened the objectives to complement the formal standards process in any area of the storage industry which needed prompt attention. SFF projects are in areas not addressed by standards committees because of timing, charter, or other considerations. The committee consists of members that represent companies that develop, manufacture, and sell products and components for
12-434: A specific standard. It may also define an entire system, as in a computer form factor. As electronic hardware has become smaller following Moore's law and related patterns, ever-smaller form factors have become feasible. Specific technological advances, such as PCI Express , have had a significant design impact, though form factors have historically evolved slower than individual components. Standardization of form factors
18-406: Is vital for hardware compatibility between different manufacturers. Smaller form factors may offer more efficient use of limited space, greater flexibility in the placement of components within a larger assembly, reduced use of material, and greater ease of transportation and use. However, smaller form factors typically incur greater costs in the design , manufacturing , and maintenance phases of
24-517: The engineering lifecycle , and do not allow the same expansion options as larger form factors. In particular, the design of smaller form-factor computers and network equipment must entail careful consideration of cooling . End-user maintenance and repair of small form-factor electronic devices such as mobile phones is often not possible, and may be discouraged by warranty voiding clauses; such devices require professional servicing—or simply replacement—when they fail. Computer form factors comprise
30-512: The storage industry. Its members include but are not limited to representatives from companies such as Amphenol Interconnect, Avago Technologies , Broadcom , Dell , FCI Electronics, Foxconn , Fujitsu Components America, Hewlett Packard , Hitachi , IBM , Intel , LSI Corporation , Molex , Panduit , Pioneer Corporation , Samsung , Seagate Technology , Sumitomo Electric Industries , Sun Microsystems , Texas Instruments , Toshiba , Tyco Electronics , and W. L. Gore & Associates . It
36-554: Was absorbed by the Storage Networking Industry Association . This organization-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Form factor (design) Form factor is a hardware design aspect that defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of components, particularly in electronics . A form factor may represent a broad class of similarly sized components, or it may prescribe
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