Category Archives: NAND

Some great analysis on SSD wear leveling and power consumption

Some great analysis by Cullen Logan at Amazon.com appeared on LinkedIn over the weekend in response to my post “Are Enterprise SSDs a “bad” idea? Four tips and counter-tips for your consideration”: “To put some raw data out there, consider … Continue reading

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Future Memory: The MemCon Panel. What comes after NAND Flash and DRAM?

Just announced, there’s a pre-lunch panel at MemCon covering future memories. There are several new memory technologies that would usurp the thrones from DRAM and NAND Flash memory. Will any succeed? Come and hear the panel to find out. Jim … Continue reading

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Want to know why SK hynix is placing its bets on three different alternatives to DRAM and Flash?

Last week at the Flash Memory Summit, Dr. Sung Wook Park spoke about memory. No surprise there, but there were several surprises in Park’s presentation. The first surprise popped up in the slide immediately following the keynote presentation’s title slide: … Continue reading

Posted in 3D, DRAM, Flash, HDD, Hynix, Memristor, MRAM, NAND, PCM, ReRAM, SRAM, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Add Hitachi Data Systems to the growing list of companies developing their own SSD controllers

According to this Computerworld article, Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) announced last week that it is developing its own SSD controller for MLC NAND Flash to be used in its SSD arrays. The objective is a 4x improvement in read/write throughput, … Continue reading

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Tweaktown review of 1.6Tbyte SMART Storage Optimus SSD reveals a few secrets. Wanna see them?

Tweaktown.com attended last week’s Flash Memory Summit and has published some great photos of the internals of the 2.5-inch SMART Storage 1.6Tbyte Optimus SSD. The drive has dual SAS ports with accompanying specs of 1Gbps sequential read and 500MGbps sequential … Continue reading

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Want to know Rado Danilak’s and Skyera’s plan for total enterprise-class SSD world domination?

This week, I reported on a new high-end, high-performance 44Tbyte SSD for data centers and server farms from Skyera. (See “44Tbyte Skyera Skyhawk SSD employs Everspin MRAM as write cache” and “How Skyera developed the 44Tbyte, enterprise-class Skyhawk SSD from … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, HDD, MLC, NAND, SSD, Storage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

44Tbyte Skyera Skyhawk SSD employs Everspin MRAM as write cache

NAND Flash memory would be perfect for nonvolatile storage because except that Flash write speeds are slow enough to create a window of time when write transactions could be lost during a power failure. This problem is especially acute for … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, MRAM, NAND, SSD, Storage | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Friday Video: A personal invitation to Memcon from Sanjay Srivastava

Want to know why you need to be at Memcon this year? Here’s Denali Software founder Sanjay Srivastava to tell you why: Now go and sign up! It’s a free ticket and includes breakfast, lunch, and some goodies—not to mention … Continue reading

Posted in DDR3, DDR4, DRAM, Flash, HMC, Hybrid Memory Cube, JEDEC, LPDDR2, LPDDR3, LPDDR4, Memcon, MRAM, mSATA, NAND, NOR, NVM Express, NVMe, ONFI, PCIe, Samsung, SAS, SATA, SD, SDRAM | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Flash memory endurance, multi-level cells, and process technology

I’ve been following an interesting discussion about Flash memory endurance, multi-level cells, and process technology in the LinkedIn Solid State Storage Group. Yesterday, The Memory Guy Jim Handy stepped in with this comment: “Flash endurance is the result of disruptions … Continue reading

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Plextor blog walks you through the design process for the PX-M5S SSD: better, faster, cheaper

Plextor has just published an extremely interesting blog post that walks you through some of the high-level design decisions behind the company’s new PX-M5S SSD. According to the design goals, the prioritized objectives are: 1) speed 2) reliability 3) price … Continue reading

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Flash Memory Summit: Great Program on Non-Volatile memory.

The Flash Memory Summit rolls into Silicon Valley – August 21-23. Here’s a summary of topics covered in the program: Flash Memory-Based Architectures Next-Generation Flash and SSD Controllers Solid-State Drive (SSD) Technology Enterprise SSDs Testing/Performance/Endurance NVMe LDPC Coding Enterprise Storage … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, mSATA, NAND, NOR, NVM Express, NVMe, SSD, Storage, Toggle | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Who do you want to see at Memcon?

As the emcee for the Memcon event on September 18, I’ve been given the opportunity to personally invite a few, select exhibitors to the show and to cut them a very sweet deal. To do that, I’d like to know … Continue reading

Posted in DDR, DRAM, Flash, MRAM, NAND, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

StorageSearch.com names top 25 SSD companies. Guess who?

StorageSearch.com has been following SSDs for a long, long time so they’ve got as much right to name their top picks as anyone. Here’s the 2Q 2012 version with a few you might not have heard about, yet: Fusion-io Violin … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, NAND, SSD | 2 Comments

Korg introduces SSD-based music workstation, the Korg Kronos X, with 62Gbyte drive and option for a second SSD

File this under places you might not expect to find SSDs: Korg USA has announced the Kronos X Music Workstation, a music keyboard and workstation with a 62Gbyte SSD for storing sound samples in sound libraries. That’s a lot of … Continue reading

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MOSAID and NOVACHIPS announce plans for an HLNAND-based SSD controller chip. Release set for 2013.

A couple of weeks ago, MOSAID and NOVACHIPS announced plans to jointly develop an SSD controller based on the MOSAID high-speed HLNAND interface specification. If you’re not familiar with the MOSAID HLNAND high-speed serial interface, join the club. Most NAND … Continue reading

Posted in 3D, Flash, Hybrid Memory Cube, NAND | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SSD prices: More affordable? Steady, substantial decline? In free fall? Just what is going on here?

Senior Writer Vincent Chang over at CNET writes that “SSDs are more affordable than ever” and has the charted data to prove it. Clayton Vallabhan at ITPnet.com goes even further, writing “SSD prices in freefall.” For an even more extensive … Continue reading

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SK Hynix places bet on third wannabe non-volatile memory technology, phase-change memory, with IBM

When I was really young, I used to play a card game called “Pit” where you tried to corner the market on a particular commodity like oranges, sugar, soybeans, or corn. The game was based on the trading pits of … Continue reading

Posted in Hynix, Memristor, MRAM, NAND, PCM | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Flash Memory Summit 2012, Santa Clara, CA. Registration now open

Every year, the Flash Memory Summit rolls into Silicon Valley to discuss the latest in Flash memory, SSDs, and possibly up-and-coming alternative non-volatile memory technologies. This year, the event takes place on August 21-23 at the Santa Clara Convention Center … Continue reading

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Corsair does the Neutron dance with new line of fast SSDs based on Toggle NAND Flash

PC hardware maker Corsair has introduced a new line of 2.5-inch, 7mm SSDs called the Neutron GTX series. I find it very interesting that the first fact put forth in the Corsair press release for this new series is about … Continue reading

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Will SSDs be the first big market for 3D NAND Flash memories?

I’ve been meaning to write about a comment regarding NAND Flash memory and SSDs written by Thomas McCormick in LinkedIn’s Solid State Storage Group and this seems like the perfect time. McCormick is an Integrated Hardware/Software Product Development Leader at … Continue reading

Posted in 3D, DDR, DRAM, Flash, Memristor, MRAM, NAND, SSD, Storage | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tiny RunCore single-chip SSDs cram 8 to 64Gbytes onto small SATA cards that fit anywhere

RunCore has announced a line of small single-chip SSDs in a format that the company calls “Mini DOM” (miniature disk on module). The high-speed SATA SSDs are available with capacities from 8 to 64Gbytes in three form factors: a 7-pin … Continue reading

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Lexar translates USB 3.0 specs into significant benefits that consumers care about with the new S73 JumpDrive

Sometimes, we insiders get pretty esoteric in the way we describe technological improvements. Take SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for example. Most consumers know it’s faster than USB 2.0—after all, 3.0 is bigger than 2.0 so it must be better—but perhaps they … Continue reading

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BIWIN America introduces 12x20mm e-MMC SSDs with on-chip controller, power-on boot, explicit sleep mode

BIWIN America has just announced a “single-chip” SSD device employing the e-MMC interface. The device is available in capacities from 2 to 64Gbytes, all packed into a 169-ball BGA package measuring 12x20x1mm. An integral SSD controller provides built-in BCH error … Continue reading

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Low-cost Intel 330 series SSDs sport SandForce SF-2281 SSD Controller

According to this extremely informative article on the Anandtech.com site, Intel’s just-released 330 series SSDs push Intel into the low-cost SSD zone using the SandForce SF-2281 SSD controller. Apparently, Intel’s 520 SSD series also employs this controller, but the use … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, NAND, SSD, Storage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A detailed look at the IP components of an SSD controller chip by Dr. Eric Esteve

IPNEST blogger and analyst Dr. Eric Esteve has just published a detailed look at many of the IP components needed to design a high-performance SSD controller chip including a NAND Flash controller and high-speed PHY interface for NAND Flash devices. … Continue reading

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Intel jumps on the PCIe SSD bandwagon with the fast, new 910 Series

Intel has just announced an SSD family based on the PCIe expansion-card form factor and interface. The SSD family is called the 910 Series and it’s based on Intel High Endurance Technology and MLC (multi-level cell) 25nm NAND flash memory … Continue reading

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4th International Memory Workshop in Milan tackles all things non-volatile with respect to semiconductor memory. May 20-23

You will need to travel to Milan, Italy to attend the 4-day intensive event devoted to non-volatile memory, which seems to be the exclusive topic for the 4th International Memory Workshop Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits covers latest STT-MRAM … Continue reading

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Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits covers latest STT-MRAM developments

Session 7 of the 2012 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits is all about Spin-Torque-Transfer Magnetic RAM (STT-MRAM), one of the several technologies hoping to challenge NAND Flash memory for the top spot in the non-volatile memory hierarchy. Five presentations … Continue reading

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Want to tour the Kingston SSD factory with TweakTown?

Kingston Technology manufactures SSDs in Taiwan’s Hsin Chu Science Park and TweakTown’s Cameron Wilmot recently went for a visit. With his camera. Although Wilmot wasn’t allowed to shoot video, he did shoot a lot of photos that are included in … Continue reading

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Interview with Whiptail’s CTO James Candelaria demonstrates how SSD controllers can greatly improve NAND Flash endurance by managing write amplification

As NAND Flash geometries continue to shrink, device endurance specs have suffered, which is a significant challenge when using these devices in SSDs. This interview with Whiptail’s CTO James Candelaria discusses how his company’s approach to buffering writes in SSD … Continue reading

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Supertalent USB 3 SSD memory-stick drive virtually “saturates” USB 2 port using 8-channel LSI SandForce SSD controller

In a sea of undifferentiated USB memory sticks, Supertalent is coming on very strong by differentiating its USB 3.0 Express RC8 drive  through its use of an LSI SandForce SSD controller with 8 channels of NAND Flash memory. As a … Continue reading

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Micron releases video on using PCIe for fast, enterprise-class SSDs like its P320h SSD

As yet another example of how new, fast interfaces are changing the way SSDs fit into the enterprise storage arena, here’s a new video showing Gary Gentry, General Manager of Micron’s Enterprise SSD Division, explaining how and why Micron has … Continue reading

Posted in HDD, NAND, NVMe, PCIe, SAS, SATA, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

ISQED: Who and what will win the Universal Memory Derby?

Professor Cristophe Muller of Aix-Marseille University gave an excellent overview of non-volatile semiconductor memory as the third ISQED keynote this week. It’s a very good overview of today’s landscape and well worth discussing in a wider forum like this blog. … Continue reading

Posted in DRAM, Flash, Memristor, Micron, MRAM, NAND, NOR, ReRAM, SDRAM | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Agilent: Memory technology has hit a wall due to physics limitations and that has implications for your designs

Last week, Agilent ran a seminar in Milpitas, California. The first of three subseminars was about memory technology with an excellent overview of the state of memory technology today. It was presented by Gordon Getty, an Agilent Application Engineer based … Continue reading

Posted in 3D, DDR3, DDR4, DRAM, eMMC, Flash, LPDDR2, LPDDR3, NAND, NOR, QDR, SD, SDRAM, Storage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More on developing your own SSD controller chip. Is rolling your own right for you?

A couple of days ago, I described the new STEC MACH16 SSD and noted that STEC had developed its own SSD controller and firmware. (See “STEC’s MACH16 Slim 2.5-in SATA SSD requires small footprint, fits in small embedded spaces”) I … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, NAND, SSD | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Micron introduces Enterprise-class, 2.5-inch SSD with PCIe interface

This week, Micron announced a hot-swappable, 2.5-inch SSD that employs a PCIe interface instead of the more widely used SATA or SAS disk interfaces. Dell announced that it has selected this drive for its 12th generation PowerEdge server line. Both … Continue reading

Posted in NAND, SLC, SSD, Storage | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Is Flash memory nearing end of life and if so what solid-state storage is waiting in the wings? Will that be the salmon or the rosemary chicken?

On Thursday, May 17, the inaugural Storage Valley Supper Club sits down for its first dinner in Milpitas, California to discuss the state of the storage industry (“Because it’s all about storage!”). Anyone with present or past affiliations in the … Continue reading

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STEC’s MACH16 Slim 2.5-in SATA SSD requires small footprint, fits in small embedded spaces

STEC has introduced a small-form-factor Slim SATA SSD with a Slim SATA interface for embedded and other computing applications that require lots of storage that can fit in a small space and consume little power. The STEC MACH16 SSD is … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, NAND, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

SanDisk shows 128Gbit, 3-level cell NAND Flash memory chip at ISSCC. Is 20nm (or 19nm) here, so soon?

I’ve already written about retired SanDisk CEO Eli Harari’s ISSCC keynote prediction that ReRAM/memristor technology would supplant DRAM and NAND Flash memory by the time the 11nm process node arrives. (See “SanDisk’s founder and retired CEO Eli Harari says that … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, Memristor, NAND, ReRAM | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SMART Storage Systems’ Optimus Ultra SSD taps consumer-grade NAND Flash memory with magic wand named Guardian to make enterprise-class SSD

A lead from Computerworld put me onto the announcement by SMART Storage Systems of a new enterprise-class Optimus Ultra SSD based on consumer-grade MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash devices. Using consumer-grade silicon to make this drive cuts the OEM cost … Continue reading

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The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Paper predicts the bleak future of SSDs and NAND Flash memory

An interesting and disturbing paper titled “The Bleak Future of NAND Flash Memory” written by two researchers at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California, San Diego, and one Microsoft employee uses current trends with … Continue reading

Posted in 3D, Flash, Memcon, Memristor, Micron, MLC, MRAM, NAND, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

STT MRAM startup Spin Transfer Technologies secures $36M in Series A funding

Last week, STT MRAM startup Spin Transfer Technologies announced that it had secured $36M in Series A financing from Allied Minds and Invesco Asset Management. Spin Transfer Technologies is developing an “orthogonal” version of STT (spin transfer technology—the technology, not … Continue reading

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Flash Memory Summit 2012: Call for presentations

Planning is now underway for the Flash Memory Summit 2012, which will be held in Santa Clara, CA in August. There’s no better show devoted exclusively to NAND Flash semiconductor memory and applications of NAND Flash—particularly SSDs. The organizers have … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, NAND, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why is the NVMe SSD interface inherently more efficient than disk-based protocols such as SATA?

The speed at which the electronics industry moves sometimes masks other developments that are incredibly slow-paced and the conversion of storage I/O protocols from hard-disk-centric to solid-state disks (SSDs) is a shining example. Most SSDs currently employ I/O protocols originally … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, HDD, NAND, NVM Express, NVMe, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Can MLC NAND Flash work in enterprise SSDs? Yes, with the right storage algorithms says Seagate

MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash memories provide 2x or 3x the storage for slightly more than the cost of SLC (single-level cell) NAND Flash memories. Consequently, there’s a big economic case to be made for MLC NAND Flash devices in … Continue reading

Posted in eMMC, Flash, NAND, SLC, SSD | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Elpida prototypes 50nm, 64Mbit, 10nsec Resistive RAM (ReRAM). 30nm production slated for 2013

Elpida, the world’s third largest DRAM manufacturer, just announced successful development of a 64Mbit resistive RAM (ReRAM) prototype chip using a 50nm process technology. Two key specs for this prototype are a 10nsec write speed, similar to DRAM and orders … Continue reading

Posted in DRAM, Flash, Memristor, NAND, ReRAM | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

JEDEC Mobile Memory Summit: The pace quickens and memory standards must keep up

By Scott Jacobson CES hosted the JEDEC Mobile Memory Summit on January 12th to review the current state of the market for mobile semiconductor memory and to discuss future trends.  It was a full day review of current mobile device … Continue reading

Posted in DRAM, eMMC, Flash, JEDEC, NAND, UFS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung packages 4Gbytes of NAND Flash with LPDDR2 DRAM for smartphone and other embedded applications

Samsung has announced that it has started volume production of a combined NAND Flash/DRAM “embedded multichip module” (eMCP). The module combines 30nm-class LPDDR2 DRAM chips (packaged capacities of 256, 512, or 768 Mbytes) with 4Gbytes of 20nm-class NAND Flash in … Continue reading

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You say “to-may-to” and I say “to-mah-to.” So how do you say “memristor”?

Bryon Moyer at Electronic Engineering Journal and I had a discussion a couple of weeks ago about memristors, real and ideal, and resistive RAM. Is there a difference? Does it matter? What is it we’re really looking for, a “true” … Continue reading

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Is MRAM ramping up to the big time?

Today, MRAM (magnetic RAM) supplier Everspin announced that it expects to close out FY 2011 with a shipment volume that exceeds that of 2010 by more than a factor of three. MRAM combines the thin-film magnetics initially developed for the … Continue reading

Posted in DRAM, Flash, MRAM, NAND | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

SSDs as HDD caches to grow like topsy say Intel and IHS iSuppli

Intel has made a significant change in the way its chipsets handle SSDs and the result, according to analyst firm IHS iSuppli, will be a 100x increase in the annual number of drives sold in the PC space between now … Continue reading

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Need an objective way to evaluate SSD performance? SNIA has one

SNIA, the Storage Networking Industry Association, has just published a White Paper titled “Understanding SSD Performance Using the SNIA SSS Performance Test Specification” as a companion piece to the association’s SSD Performance Test Specification (PTS). As the White Paper’s introduction … Continue reading

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Marvell brews ARM-based native PCIe SSD Controller IC: 88NV9145 handles direct PCIe to NAND Flash I/O for high-performance, low-overhead SSD designs

It looks like 2012 is the year for native PCIe (PCI Express) interfaces to NAND Flash devices. Hot on the heels of the PCIe-based XQD memory card specification from the Compact Flash Alliance (see “Nikon D4 camera and Sony H … Continue reading

Posted in Compact Flash, Flash, NAND, PCIe, SSD, XQD | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Toshiba adds 4 and 8Gbit BENAND devices to its SmartNAND lineup

Toshiba has just announced a new family of SLC (single-level cell) managed NAND Flash devices dubbed BENAND. The 24nm devices incorporate ECC so that the host processor need not perform that function, which saves time and simplifies the NAND Flash … Continue reading

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Is 2012 the year ONFI 3.0 takes off? Intel, Micron, and Cadence say yes.

The ONFI 3.0 specification—released in March, 2011—raises the bar on the interface to Flash semiconductor memory. In particular, it boosts transfer rates to 400 Mtransfers/sec using an NV-DDR2 DDR-400 signaling protocol; it adopts 1.8V SSTL_18 differential signaling on the strobes … Continue reading

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Nikon D4 camera and Sony H Series Flash memory cards usher in the era of high-performance XQD cards with PCIe interfaces

Nikon and Sony have jumped the gun on CES by introducing a new DSLR camera (the Nikon D4) and a new series of Flash storage media (the Sony H Series). These announcements mark the beginning of the XQD Flash card … Continue reading

Posted in Compact Flash, Flash, NAND, SD, XQD | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments