Industrial Embedded Flash Storage Applications

High reliability Industrial Grade Flash Storage Devices are designed to operate in the harshest environments with the highest write cycles. They also meet the needs of applications which require a locked Bill-Of-Material and long life cycles.

A typical flash storage device is designed for cost and/or performance. This is the majority of the marketplace today since consumer electronics are driving the flash product design criteria. Another driver of flash storage is the enterprise or server market where the SSD acts as a cache and is treated as a consumable.

But for applications such as Military, Gaming, Medical, Heavy Industrial and others, there is a need for a better flash storage device. Hence the need for Industrial Grade Flash Storage.

Industrial Grade, when referring to flash storage products, signifies the product is built using SLC NAND memory. SLC NAND is the most reliable and costly NAND flash available today. It has over 20 times the endurance cycles as MLC NAND and over 200 times the cycles of TLC NAND found in most consumer flash devices.

Beyond the SLC NAND flash, Industrial devices are built with a more reliable controller and associated circuitry. When design compromises need to be made between reliability and cost or performance, the Industrial controller designer selects reliability.

Algorithms on Industrial devices have been designed to provide the best Wear Leveling, Defect Management and ECC possible. These algorithms in conjunction with additional circuitry offer a solid defense against unexpected power interrupt or loss.

The physical construction of the industrial products and the use of only the highest grade discrete components are another attribute. When high shock and vibration environments are present for a decade or more, subpar construction or components is not advisable.

Ability to operate at wide temperature ranges from -45C to 90C without fail is an option that cannot be satisfied with the lower cost devices.

Finally, it is not just about superior specifications. A true Industrial Grade Flash Storage Supplier is committed to locked BOM control and long life cycles. When an OEM designer qualifies a solid state part, it should remain the same for the life of his program. He should not receive a lower cost substitute in the next shipment.

Cactus Technologies is committed to providing the best Industrial Grade Flash Storage products in the world. We would be honored to assist you with your requirements. Please contact a Cactus Expert if you would like to discuss your application.

Steve Larrivee has over 30 year's experience in the data storage market, including 5 years at Seagate Technology and 10 years at SanDisk. He joined Cactus Technologies Limited as an equity partner and Co-Founded Cactus USA in 2007 with partner Tom Aguillon. Learn more about Steve on LinkedIn.