TDK has developed the GBDriver RS4 series of NAND type flash
memory controllers, which support the 3 Gbps serial ATA
interface.
Available in January 2013, the GBDriver RS4 has an effective
access speed of 180 MB/sec and is compatible with the latest
1xnm generation and 2xnm generation 16 kB/page SLC (single level
cell) and MLC (multi level cell) NAND type flash memory, along
with 8 kB/page and 4 kB/page structures. This means that TDK's
customers will be able to select the optimal flash memory for
their applications, providing the flexibility to configure
high-speed SATA storage with a capacity ranging from 512 MB to 1
TB.
The controller is also supporting a read retry
function to ensure data reliability when using the latest MLC
type NAND flash memory. Together with the auto-recovery, data
randomizer, and auto-refresh functions of the existing GBDriver
series, this design accommodates also future developments in the
flash memory format. Data reliability is enhanced by the
GBDriver power interruption tolerance algorithm. For all those
requiring an even higher level of data reliability, the Enhanced
ECC function makes it possible to expand ECC to 71 bits per 512
byte block.
TDK's static wear leveling algorithm averages the write and
erase process over all blocks of the memory area, improving the
lifespan of installed flash memory. SMART (Self-Monitoring &
Analysis Reporting Technology) provides information about the
number of times that memory blocks have been erased
(programmed), which facilitates quantitative lifespan management
of flash storage.
Data security has also been enhanced. In addition to ATA
standard security functions, AES 128-bit encryption is also
available. This makes it possible to store data in the NAND type
flash memory in encrypted form, to guard against the risk of
data leaks and tampering.
TDK will start releasing a number of NAND modules (SSDs and
other products) incorporating the new GBDriver RS4 from April
2013.