Intel, Micron
New ONFi 2.0 Interface Boost the Data Transfer Rates Five Times
of NAND Flash-Memory
______________________________________________________
Mark LaPedus
(02/01/2008 12:01 AM EST)
URL:
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206101519
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Intel Corp. and Micron Technology Inc. have unveiled
a high-speed and souped-up NAND flash-memory interface technology that
is said to boost the data transfer rates by up to five times over
current devices.
Micron has rolled out the first NAND devices based on the technology,
which could open up a new class of applications. The technology,
co-developed by Intel and Micron, leverages a new interface
specification as defined by the so-called Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFi)
Working Group.
Formed in 2006, ONFi now has 71 or more members. The latest
specification, dubbed ONFi 2.0, defines a high-speed NAND synchronous
interface, said to deliver up to 133 megabytes per second (MB/s) in
interface performance. The legacy NAND asynchronous interface is limited
to a maximum speed of 50-MB/second, thereby hampering the performance in
applications such as solid state drives.
Devices based on the ONFi 2.0 specification are said to reduce the
time required to transfer data to and from the data buffer by using two
techniques: double-data-rate (DDR) signaling and source synchronous
clocks.
The technology solves the nagging "performance bottleneck" in the
NAND interface, said Kevin Kilbuck, director of market development for
NAND flash memory at Micron (Boise, Ida.). Micron and Intel are partners
in a NAND manufacturing venture, dubbed IM Flash Technologies LLC.
Intel and Micron have taken the interface technology a step further.
Using a four-plane architecture, NAND interface speeds can reach up to
200-MB/s for reading data and 100-MB/s for writing data. In comparison,
conventional single-level cell NAND is limited to 40-MB/s for reading
data and less than 20-MB/s for writing data.
This enables data to be transferred in a fraction of the time for
computing, video, photography and other consumer applications. It also
enables a faster way of transferring digital content between devices
such as computers, digital cameras, MP3 players and cell phones.
"The computing market is embracing NAND-based solutions to accelerate
system performance through the use of caching and solid-state drives,"
said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for Intel's NAND Products Group.
"At up to five times the performance over conventional NAND, the
high-speed NAND from Intel and Micron, based on the ONFi 2.0 industry
standard, will enable new embedded solutions and removable solutions
that take advantage of high-performance system interfaces, including
PCIe and upcoming standards such as USB 3.0," he said.
For example, the technology enables a hybrid hard drive to read and
write data anywhere between two or four times the speed, when compared
to conventional hard drives, according to the companies.
Seeking to get a jump in the market, Micron claims to be the first
company to announce a product based on the technology. The company is
sampling an 8-gigabit, single-level cell (SLC) device.
Designed on the 50-nm process node, Micron's 8-Gbit SLC high speed
NAND component is sampling to OEMs and controller manufacturers, with
mass production expected to commence in the second half of 2008. The
company also expects to unveil future ONFI 2.0-derived NAND products in
the next year, including multi-level cell (MLC) versions.
Future generations of the specification will deliver speeds up to 400
MB/second. This next generation of the ONFi specification, targeted for
completion in 2009, is aimed to double the interface speed delivered in
ONFi 2.0. ONFi's founding companies include Hynix Semiconductor, Intel,
Micron, Phison, Sony and STMicroelectronics. |
