Swissbit: USB 3.1 Flash Keys for Industrial Use

Swissbit AG announced a product range of USB 3.1 flash drives.

This USB sticks fulfill the requirements of flash memory.

The series is based on an USB 3.1 flash controller and comprises the product range U-500k with a reliable SLC-NAND and U-50k with MLC NAND. Furthermore, a version with MLC-NAND in pSLC configuration is offered under the name U-56k.

The benefit: an endurance seven times longer than that of a MLC NAND with the same memory density.

By the third quarter of 2018, the SLC versions with densities of 2 to 32GB, the MLC version with 16 to 128GB and the pSLC configuration with 8 to 64GB will be available.

Important considering the stricter data protection provisions: all USB 3.1 sticks are also offered in versions with integrated data protection features.

USB flash drives are often used to transport data between different locations or as exchangeable memory expansion in industrial applications such as log storage, backup, system upgrade or as license token. The company offers USB stick ranges that fulfill the same requirements for professional applications as other industrial storage solutions yet are easy to use and universally applicable.

Firmware for smart memory chip usage
In combination with the SuperSpeed USB 3.1 interface, U-500k, U-50k and U 56k offer fast data rates for the sequential writing of data. As the firmware works with page-based mapping, the random-write IO/s performance increases, while wear decreases. This in turn makes USB sticks the solution for data logging applications. Smart firmware routines recognize weak data segments and update them before any data loss occurs. This is important when used as boot medium or for long-term storage.

Security and data protection
The company will offer special variants of these USB sticks for confidential or license-relevant content under the names PU-500k, PU-50k and PU-56k. Configurable security options allow for data encryption and access restrictions with PIN protection including repeat counter and hidden or read-only partitions. The data protection option ‘DP’ prevents data from being spied upon in case of loss or theft of a flash drive. Furthermore, the secured USB stick can also be employed as copy-protected license tokens.

Proven casing
For this USB 3.1 product range, the company once again has opted for their flash drive casing ‘unitedCONTRAST II’, already used for their USB 2.0 sticks, which is also available in customized designs. Additionally, the firm will add a ‘Nano’ casing to their range – a robust flash drive in an enclosed tamper-proof metal casing.