Embedded World: PCIe NVMe FerriSSD SM689 PCIe Gen 3×4 and SM681 PCI Gen 3×2 Interface From Silicon Motion

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation introduced its FerriSSD single-chip SSDs that features PCIe Gen 3 NVMe 1.3 interface for performance mission critical applications.

The SM689 supports PCIe Gen 3×4 interface while SM681 supports PCI Gen 3×2 interface – exhibiting sequential read speed of up to 1.45GB/s and sequential write speed of up to 650MB/s.

Both products can support multiple capacity configurations ranging from 16 to 256GB and include enterprise-grade advanced data integrity and reliability capabilities using Silicon Motion’s proprietary end-to-end data protection, ECC and data caching technologies.

The SM689 (*) and SM681 (*) are the newest members of the FerriSSD family which includes the PATA (SM601) and SATA (SM619) solutions targeted at embedded computing applications in industrial, commercial, enterprise and automotive end-markets. FerriSSD single-chip SSDs are customizable via firmware and offer enhanced reliability and robust data integrity features that are essential for the extreme operating environments of these applications.

“The FerriSSD storage solutions are popular with automotive and industrial designers, allowing them to replace a HDD drive with reliable solid-state alternatives,” said Nelson Duann, SVP, marketing and OEM business, Silicon Motion. “The addition of PCIe NVMe interface will enable better perfomance for applications such as AI and autonomous driving.“

SM689 and SM681 FerriSSDs supports enhanced reliability and data integrity features for use in demanding automotive, commercial, enterprise and industrial applications. Its set of features includes:

• End-to-end data path protection, which applies ECC to the SSD’s SRAM and DRAM buffers as well as to the primary NAND flash memory array

• DRAM data cache to ensure data programming and enable data redundancy, without delaying host processor operations

• Hybrid zone which enables a single disk to be partitioned into SLC and MLC/three-level cell (MLC/TLC) zones, enabling faster access speeds and data retention

• Intelligent scan/dataRefresh protects against the higher data loss from operating at high temperatures

• NANDXtend technology incorporating the company’s proprietary 4th generation high-performance LDPC ECC engine with RAID, ensuring better data integrity even in extreme physical environments

• 16x20mm (SM689) and 11.5x13mm (SM681) single-chip package

• Supports industrial temperatures from -40°C to 85°C

• Densities ranging from 16 to 256GB at launch

This PCIe NVMe FerriSSD family is currently in production and products was displayed at Embedded World exhibition (Nuremberg, Germany, 27 February – 1 March 2018).

* SM689 is embedded DRAM, SM681 is DRAMless