Universal flash storage version 3.0 memories boost performance for AR/VR
Embedded flash memory devices being sampled by Toshiba Memory Europe are the industry’s first universal flash storage (UFS) version 3.0 models. Initially 128Gbyte devices are being sampled, with 256 and 512Gbyte models to follow from March.
According to Toshiba Memory Europe (TME), the memory products enable faster performance to evolve smartphones, tablets, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR).
The UFS embedded flash memory devices use Toshiba’s 96-layer BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory.
The UFS standard is constantly being refined, reports TME. Its serial interface supports full duplexing which enables both concurrent reading and writing between the host processor and UFS device. JEDEC introduced UFS 3.0 to help product designers enable significant improvements in mobile devices and related applications.
Toshiba’s new devices integrate its BiCS Flash 3D flash memory and a controller in a JEDEC-standard 11.5 x 13mm package. The controller performs error correction, wear leveling, logical-to-physical address translation, and bad-block management for simplified system development.
All three devices comply with JEDEC UFS Ver. 3.0, including HS-GEAR4, which has a theoretical interface speed of up to 11.6Gbits per second per lane (two lanes for 23.2Gbits per second) while also supporting features that suppress increases in power consumption. Sequential read and write performance of the 512Gbyte device are improved by approximately 70 and 80 per cent, respectively, over previous generation 256Gbyte Toshiba devices.
Toshiba was the first company to introduce UFS devices and has been shipping them since 2013.
Samples of the new memory devices will be on show at Toshiba’s booth (Hall 3A – 424) at the Embedded World 2019 Exhibition and Conference (26-28 February – Nuremberg, Germany).
