Smart Data Centers Feature Editorial

MOSAID Technologies Inc. announced the introduction of a Solid State Drive or SSD prototype using MOSAID’s HyperLink NAND or HLNAND architecture and interface.

The HLNAND SSD prototype was designed by MOSAID and its development partner INDILINX. The device is optimized for mass storage applications like enterprise data centers and high-performance computing environments.

According to company sources the MOSAID’s HLNAND SSD prototype proves that 213 Mbps read performance and 130 Mbps write performance is achievable on a single channel of HLNAND Flash memory. The current second-generation SSDs available require eight or more channels for the same level of performance.

In a release, Jin-Ki Kim, vice president R&D, MOSAID said, “The goal of the HLNAND program is to develop advanced solutions that will significantly enhance the performance of Flash technology in commercial products.”

“Our prototype demonstrates the unprecedented level of Flash performance and flexibility that can be delivered in an SSD when implementing HLNAND technology. With our solution, SSD designers can achieve an industry leading concentration of throughput on each channel, without experiencing roll-off with heavily populated rings,” Kim added.

HLNAND Flash is a pioneering effort in flash memory architecture and device interface and it combines MOSAID’s HyperLink memory technology with industry standard NAND Flash cell technology. HLNAND delivers sustained input/output bandwidths in an order of magnitude higher than conventional Flash. It leverages a point-to-point ring topology that achieves an extremely high level of signal integrity with reduced loading.

MOSAID will be displaying its HLNAND SSD prototype at the 2010 Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, California besides presenting a paper on the next phase of HLNAND technology development.

Company sources explained that the HLNAND SSD is a fully functional, Serial ATA2 compatible prototype incorporating a Field Programmable Gate Array or FPGA-based controller and MOSAID’s HLNAND modules, built in the 3.5 inch form factor.

The HLNAND SSD prototype employs two 64GB HLDIMM modules per module, 16 MCPs in total arranged on a single channel. MOSAID provided the HLDIMM modules, and INDILINX built the controller and system board.

The HLNAND SSD is most suitable for high-speed, mass storage applications, including desktop workstations, computing and enterprise equipment, light-weight mobile devices and gaming equipment, or as an external drive.