Flash Memory turned 40 and we take this occasion to highlight some of the vendors in our linecard that offer flash memory.
A bit of a latecomer to the Flash memory market, Intelligent Memory introduced its first Flash product in 2014 and has since built one of the most extensive portfolios for specialty and industrial-grade NAND products in a variety of form factors, interfaces, and capacities.
Intelligent Memory offers a unique mix of legacy and leading-edge products that are all available at industrial-grade and different temperature ranges: down to -40C and up to 95C or 105C. This is a rare feature as the majority of the storage manufacturers are focusing on temperature ranges between 0 and 70C or -25 to 85C.
The latest and greatest or low density?
In 2018, the development of 3D VNAND accelerated with the deployment of 3D TLC not only in entry-level phones or PC SSDs, but in more mission-critical applications such as Automotive Infotainment, Servers and Data Centers. The generalization of use of 3D TLC led to a tremendous increase in the densities: today a single die of Flash is typically 512Gb, while it was 64Gb 10 years ago.
While applications such as servers, and data centers are eager to use ever higher densities, many applications such as Industrial Automation, Home appliances, IoT, small Automotive ECUs, and Metering systems still crave for low densities. This segment is often disregarded by large suppliers.
That’s why Intelligent Memory offers not only high-density industrial-grade SSD based on 3D TLC: for example, 16TB and 32TB, or eMMC and SD cards up to 256GB, but also a full range of very low to low-density solutions based on 2D SLC or MLC: for example, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB SD Cards, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB eMMC, PCIe and SATA SSD from 32GB.
Security is key
Another critical aspect of today’s storage business is security: With the increasing need for strong cybersecurity in an increasingly connected and mobile world, the data must be protected at the source, the actual storage device.
In 2024 Intelligent Memory released a range of FIPS 140-2 Certified SSD, PCIe and SATA from 256GB to 2TB. FIPS was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from the US Department of Commerce and is widely used as a standard in government projects.
In addition to FIPS, Intelligent Memory developed its own in-house solutions. IMTrusted™ features include Encryption, Secure Boot, Write Protect among other technologies. These products target applications such as IoT, Drones, Trail Camera, Body Cams or Defense. IMTrusted™ has been first released on SD and uSD cards and is being extended to eMMC and SSD.
Taking industrial Flash to the next level
As all large suppliers announced to exit the MLC Flash market by 2026, we can expect a big shortage of low-density solutions, which will always be needed in numerous applications.
Intelligent Memory will play a key role in securing longevity and a differentiated supply chain to address those needs.
The high-density 3D NAND costs will continue to decrease fast: the Flash manufacturers released the first 200+ Layer 3D NAND in 2024 and plan to release memory with over 500 Layers by 2026~2027. Furthermore, the increasing portion of QLC, which already represents 20% of the shipment bit of the Flash Industry, will persist and contribute to production cost optimization.
Intelligent Memory will also reflect those changes to provide industrial-grade, high-density, cost-effective solutions to its customers.
Finally, Security is expected to play a bigger role in the future, and Security requirements will increase in complexity. Intelligent Memory is preparing for the FIPS 140-3, the next FIPS standard. Likewise, IMTrusted™ will evolve its set of key Security Features toward higher-value, customized solutions tailored to the needs of customers.
More at: www.intelligentmemory.com
