As industrial applications such as AIoT, drones, and rail transportation demand increasing durability and reliability from storage products, the current mainstream TLC NAND SSDs need further improvement in performance and lifespan. It’s widely known in the industry that among the four types of NAND storage, SLC NAND offers the best performance and highest erase-write cycles but often comes with prohibitive costs in terms of capacity. How can businesses obtain a cost-effective storage solution matching SLC NAND’s longevity and efficiency? YUNZE has developed its proprietary pSLC (Pseudo SLC) firmware technology and advanced LDPC error correction technology to create the YUNZE ultra-durable SSD to address this pain point.
What is pSLC? #
Pseudo-SLC (pSLC) is a virtual SLC technology that simulates SLC storage units on MLC or TLC flash memory chips through the use of special control algorithms and management methods.
- The reliability of pSLC technology falls between that of SLC and MLC, with performance levels closely resembling SLC.
- Through innovative design of the Flash controller, significantly enhances the performance and lifespan of Flash, enabling devices to operate reliably even in extreme temperature conditions.
Performance of pSLC #
- With pSLC, whether it’s small file transfers or full disk read/write operations, the write speed remains consistently stable, while in MLC/TLC modes, there is a noticeable drop in speed.
- By incorporating AI technology tailored to various application scenarios, the product maintains high performance levels.
Reliability of pSLC #
Compared to MLC, TLC, and QLC flash technologies, pSLC flash offers higher performance and durability. While MLC/TLC/QLC flash excels in terms of storage density, they have relatively shorter lifespans. pSLC flash, with its virtual SLC feature, bridges the gap between performance and lifespan, providing a superior choice for high-demand applications.
pSLC significantly enhances the device’s lifespan, with a P/E (Program/Erase) lifespan reaching up to 30,000 to 50,000 cycles.
pSLC (Pseudo SLC) firmware technology employs specialized flash management optimization algorithms to configure TLC memory as SLC mode, enabling it to perform reads and writes in the same manner as SLC NAND. This achieves high performance, reliability, and durability akin to SLC, while simultaneously reducing product costs. This breakthrough overcomes the lifespan limitations of solid-state drives, increasing P/E (Program/Erase) cycles by 20 to 30 times. Even under high-temperature conditions of 85°C and above, it can still reach over 100,000 cycles, greatly extending the product’s lifespan.
The potential of pSLC #
As technology continues to advance, pSLC flash is poised for continuous development, further enhancing its performance and lifespan while reducing manufacturing costs. This will enable pSLC flash to play an increasingly significant role in various fields, meeting the ever-growing storage demands.
pSLC flash, as a high-performance and cost-effective innovative technology, brings new possibilities to the data storage domain. Its virtual SLC feature positions it as an ideal choice between traditional SLC flash and modern MLC/TLC/QLC flash. In the future, the evolution of pSLC flash will continue to drive advancements in data storage technology, catering to the escalating storage needs and providing stable and reliable storage solutions across various sectors.
During the development of pSLC firmware technology, YUNZE conducted in-depth research and analysis of the characteristics of storage particles. The analysis of particle characteristics in different temperature and electrical environments provided robust data support for the design of the pSLC firmware algorithm.
Utilizing TLC NAND particles in SSDs results in a cost-effective procurement, but when combined with pSLC technology, the product’s performance, reliability, and lifespan are significantly improved. Clearly, pSLC technology offers enterprises a more cost-effective storage solution.
LDPC error correction technology: Significantly enhances and extends the lifespan of SSDs #
LDPC (Low-Density Parity-Check) technology, during the error correction process, primarily relies on fast processes such as NAND hard decision, data transmission to the controller, and hard decision decoding to minimize the need for resource-intensive soft decision processes that involve multiple data transfers. This effectively enhances error correction speed. When soft decision processes are necessary, integrating master control algorithms enables full tracking of NAND flash threshold voltages, reducing the raw error rate during NAND flash reading and providing precise soft decision information. This, in turn, enhances data storage accuracy and reliability.
Therefore, compared to BCH error correction, LDPC error correction technology offers superior error correction capabilities and faster speeds while significantly reducing losses. This not only improves SSD performance but also notably enhances and extends the SSD’s erase/write lifespan.
