Simplify MLC NAND Design with Toshiba Embedded NAND Solutions
SIMPLIFYING
INTEGRATION OF HIGH-CAPACITY NAND IN EMBEDDED
APPLICATIONS
The trend of feature-rich electronic product development is driving the need for higher density data storage. Increasingly, designers are turning to Flash-based storage to solve product design challenges and meet business goals. In response to this growing demand, Toshiba has developed several enabling embedded memory solutions using cutting-edge 56nm process technology. Each solution includes high-density MLC NAND and a controller with a SD, MMC or NAND interface to simplify integration into embedded designs. These market-driven products enable a variety of applications to realize the solid-state performance benefits of MLC NAND Flash.
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about the solid-state benefits of Toshiba
NAND for storage of images, audio and
data.
MLC NAND scheduled to produce
at 56nm first quarter 2007
Japan's largest 300mm wafer
fab
Consistent semiconductor capital
investments of ~$2B annually
1 When
used herein in relation to memory
density, gigabyte and/or GB means
1,024x1,024x1,024 = 1,073,741,824
bytes. Usable capacity may be less.
For details, please refer to specifications.
2 When used herein in relation to memory density, gigabit and/or Gb means 1,024x1,024x1,024 = 1,073,741,824 bits. Usable capacity may be less. For details, please refer to specifications.
Multi-Level
Cell NAND Flash Solutions for Embedded Applications
MLC
NAND Solutions
Toshiba offers single-package
embedded MLC NAND solutions that enable
designers to easily integrate the cost/performance
advantages of high-density MLC NAND in
embedded designs. By combining high-density
MLC NAND and the controller function in
the same package, the need for host software
drivers and memory management functions
is minimized and the time to market is
reduced.
LBA-NAND™
Toshiba LBA-NAND™ is a single-package
Flash solution that combines high-density MLC NAND and a memory controller with logical block addressing, ECC, block management, and a standard NAND interface. Available in capacities from 2GB to 8GB, LBA-NAND™ features a simple write/read memory that enables easy integration of MLC NAND into new or existing embedded Flash designs using lower density SLC NAND.
eMMC™ NAND
Ranging from 1GB to 16GB in capacity, Toshiba's eMMC embedded MLC solutions integrate a dedicated controller and are fully compliant with the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) Ver. 4.2 high speed memory standard for memory cards. The products support standard interfacing, a maximum data transfer rate of 52MB/sec, and simplify integration into system designs.
eSD™ NAND
For designers who prefer an SD interface, Toshiba eSD™ NAND is a single-package solution combining an SD memory controller, (ECC), wear-leveling and block management with MLC NAND Flash memory. eSD™ NAND uses an SD bus, allowing easy design of products using an open SD interface.
Multi-Chip
Package Solutions
Toshiba multi-chip
packages (MCP) offer combinations from
two to six chips of NAND Flash, NOR Flash,
Pseudo SRAM (PSRAM) and low power SDRAM
in a single package to simplify layout
and save valuable board space in cellular
phones and other space-constrained mobile
electronics devices. As a leader in MCPs
that incorporate NAND Flash for high-volume
consumer applications, Toshiba has developed
two additional embedded NAND options in
addition to conventional MCPs.
mobileLBA-NAND
mobileLBA-NAND is a new series of embedded NAND Flash memories, within MCPs, for mobile phones that offer both a configurable single-level cell (SLC) memory area and a multi-level cell (MLC) memory area, allowing applications and data to be stored on the same chip.
GB MCP
The Toshiba Gigabyte multi-chip package (GB
MCP) is ideally suited for today's multimedia
phones that require large memory capacity to
support data storage multimedia functions such
as high-resolution cameras and music players.
It includes MLC NAND flash memory in capacities
up to 2GB with a controller supporting an SD
interface. It can be integrated into MCPs that
stack standard memory for cellular handsets,
including LP SDRAM + NAND Flash and PSRAM +
NOR Flash memory.
Package-on-Package
This enhanced MCP technology saves significant
circuit board space in cellular handsets and
other mobile devices by stacking a high-density
memory component on top of the processor so
the two components require only one footprint
on the board. Toshiba is offering Low Power
SDRAM and high-density NAND Flash PoP configurations
in various PoP packages.
Many of the early embedded NAND solutions
used single-level cell (SLC) NAND, which
stores one bit per cell, with a host
microprocessor that included a NAND interface.
The processor would typically handle
NAND management functions such as wear-leveling
and single-bit error correction code
(ECC) in software. Multi-level Cell (MLC)
NAND, which stores two bits per cell,
offers higher capacity and a better price/performance,
but has been slightly more challenging
to design in because it generally requires
a higher level of ECC, typically the
ability to correct 4 errors per 512 bytes
for the current generation of MLC NAND
devices, and an external memory controller.
Proliferation
of New NAND Devices from Multiple Suppliers
Adds Complexity
Recently, proliferation of new NAND
devices from multiple suppliers, with
more variations including page and block
size, changing ECC requirements, different
architectures, a choice of MLC vs. SLC,
and additional features with vendor-specific
commands, has significantly increased
the complexity of embedded NAND integration
for system designers, and raised dozens
of questions. Each of these variations
must be supported either by the system
processor through host driver software,
or by the memory controller. To keep
pace with advances in the NAND Flash
devices, system designers, processor
suppliers and third party memory controller
suppliers need to continue to invest
in hardware and software development
to enable the host processors to support
the latest NAND developments.
To minimize these integration challenges
for embedded NAND, the industry is moving
toward self-contained NAND solutions
with dedicated memory controllers optimized
to provide ECC, wear-leveling functions,
and other NAND management capabilities
unique to each manufacturer's NAND Flash.
Different
Interfaces and Specific Characteristics
Simplifies Design-In
To support the needs of current and
emerging applications, Toshiba is offering
system designers several embedded NAND
solutions with different interfaces and
characteristics to meet different requirements.
Each of these solutions simplifies design-in
of MLC NAND so it can be used easily
with an off-the-shelf system processor
or DSP. Toshiba, the world's most experienced
producer of NAND, is committed to bringing
the latest advances in NAND technology
to the market to enable next-generation
applications.
Block Diagram
Compares Conventional NAND to LBA-NAND™
Integration of conventional SLC or MLC
NAND with an off-the-shelf processor
requires controller functions, either
in software or hardware, to support supplier-specific
drivers and command, block management,
wear-leveling and ECC. With today's self-contained
MLC NAND solutions for embedded applications,
such as Toshiba LBA-NAND™, the need for
an external controller is eliminated,
design-in is simplified, and product
upgrades can be easily accommodated.
Embedded NAND refers to NAND flash memory installed on the system board of an electronics device to provide high-density, low-power data storage capacity for video, audio, images, data or programs. Examples are audio players that store music in NAND flash, or digital cameras that have a small amount of built-in storage for images, in addition to a slot for removable memory cards that can provide additional capacity.
What
are the advantages of NAND
Flash for embedded storage?
NAND Flash memory is the preferred non-volatile data storage solution today due to its high capacity, low power consumption, and cost/performance advantages. These advantages are why designers are increasingly turning to embedded NAND solutions for solid-state on-board storage as an alternative to miniature hard disk drives.
Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND Flash stores two bits per cell, and has helped achieve the increases in capacity and cost/performance that make NAND an attractive embedded storage alternative today.
What
embedded applications are best
suited for NAND Flash?
Embedded NAND is often a good fit for high volume consumer electronics devices that require large storage content – today, typically up to 16 GB* – and need the low power and performance advantages of solid state storage. A significant percentage of mobile phones and MP3 players now use embedded NAND to store audio, video, image and other data. A growing number of other consumer devices including set-top boxes, digital cameras, portable media players, notebook computers, gaming consoles and GPS navigation tools are also realizing the benefits of NAND Flash solid-state storage.
*
When used herein in relation to memory density, gigabyte and/or GB means 1,024x1,024x1,024 = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Usable capacity may be less. For details, please refer to specifications
.
How
do single-package embedded
MLC NAND solutions with a
built-in controller simplify
design?
Embedded NAND solutions that include a memory controller to handle MLC NAND management functions make it easier to use NAND flash in embedded applications. The built-in controller eliminates the need for the system designer to deal with the controller or NAND management functions. In contrast, designing with conventional raw MLC NAND chips requires integration of a memory controller to handle NAND management functions such as block addressing, wear-leveling and error correction. Some of these features change with each new generation of NAND, requiring updates to the controller. As a result, up to this point, designing with conventional raw MLC NAND chips has proven to be a challenge for designers, in part because of the rapid development of new NAND generations. Toshiba offers several embedded NAND solutions with built-in controllers to meet various requirements.
When
is MLC NAND appropriate for
an embedded NAND application?
MLC NAND is appropriate for most consumer applications to store video, images, music and data. MLC NAND has been widely accepted in the consumer market in removable storage devices such as memory cards and USB flash drives. The performance characteristics of MLC NAND, when used with an appropriate memory controller, are sufficient for a wide variety of embedded applications. As in all design selections, designers should compare system requirements with memory specifications when evaluating a specific application.
A trend in the NAND industry is for manufacturers to shift a large percentage of their production to MLC NAND in response to market demands. Industry analyst firm iSuppli forecasts that 80 percent of NAND flash produced in first quarter 2007 will be MLC NAND.
What level of ECC do I need to use for embedded NAND?
As NAND Flash memory advances to smaller process geometries at 56nm and below, the robustness of the NAND decreases and the need for ECC increases because of the physics of the smaller memory cell. As a result, embedded memory designs need to address higher levels of ECC, wear-leveling functions and other NAND management capabilities, which can place a tremendous burden on the host processor. To relieve this burden, select a self-contained flash solution that internalizes the memory controller and eliminates the need for the designer to be concerned about the internal functions of the embedded memory, including ECC.
Toshiba offers several embedded NAND solutions. What are they and how do they differ?
Toshiba has developed several enabling embedded NAND solutions using cutting-edge 56nm process technology. Each of these embedded memories combine high-density MLC NAND in a single package with a memory controller that handles all NAND management functions. These solutions are LBA-NAND™ and mobileLBA-NAND, which use a standard NAND interface, eMMC™, which is compliant with the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) Ver. 4.2 high speed memory standard, and eSD™ NAND, with an SD interface compatible with the SD Card Association Version 2.0 standard. Toshiba currently offers the broadest selection of NAND-based embedded memory solutions, enabling designers to use the interface that best fits their application. Please see the chart below for additional information.
Embedded MLC NAND Comparison Chart
LBA-NAND™
mobileLBA-NAND
eMMC™
eSD™
Interface
NAND
NAND
HS-MMC
(MMCA 4.2)
SD (SDA 2.0)
Voltage
3.3V
1.8V (3.3V Core)
3.3V Core
(1.8V I/O)
3.3V
Bus
x8
x8, x16
x1, x4, x8
x1, x4
Clock
20Mhz Max
30Mhz Max
52Mhz Max
50Mhz Max
Density
2GB - 16GB
1GB - 4GB
1GB - 16GB
2GB - 16GB
Package
TSOP
BGA
MCP/POP
BGA
BGA
What
is LBA-NAND™? (Logical
Block Address-NAND).
LBA-NAND, developed by Toshiba, is a single-package embedded MLC NAND flash solution with logical block addressing (LBA), a common approach used in hard disk drives to simplify memory addressing by assigning each block or sector an unique address. The innovation of integrating logical block addressing into NAND flash memory enables easy migration to higher capacity without having to rewrite the addressing protocol. This makes it as easy as possible for designers to work with MLC NAND.
LBA-NAND combines high-density MLC NAND in a single package with a memory controller that handles all NAND management functions and features a standard NAND interface that is supported by many new and existing microprocessors and ASIC controllers. Toshiba LBA-NAND is initially available in capacities of 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB in a standard 20mm x 12mm x 1.2mm TSOP package.
How is it mobileLBA-NAND different from LBA-NAND?
mobileLBA-NAND is a new series of embedded NAND Flash memories, within multi-chip packages for mobile phones, that offer both a configurable single-level cell (SLC) memory area and a multi-level cell (MLC) memory area, allowing applications and data to be stored on the same chip. This development allows cell phone manufacturers that have been using SLC NAND with a standard NAND interface in multi-chip packages (MCPs) to easily take advantage of the lower cost and higher density advantages of MLC NAND while optimizing NAND performance to meet their requirements. The
mobileLBA-NAND series ranges in capacity from 2- to 32-gigabits. The 2Gb, 4Gb and 8Gb versions can be allocated as SLC up to their full capacity, while the 16Gb and 32Gb versions can support up to 8Gb of SLC.
What is eMMC™ embedded NAND?
Ranging from 1GB to 16GB in capacity, Toshiba's eMMC embedded MLC solutions integrate a dedicated controller and are fully compliant with the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) Ver. 4.2 high speed memory standard for memory cards. The products support standard interfacing, a maximum data transfer rate of 52MB/sec, and simplify integration into system designs.
What are the advantages of eSD™ NAND?
For consumer electronics designers who prefer an SD interface, Toshiba eSD™ NAND is a single-package solution combining a memory controller, error correction code (ECC), wear-leveling and block management with up to 4 gigabytes of multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. eSD™ NAND uses an SD bus, allowing easy design of products using an open SD interface.
Toshiba eSD™ NAND, available in capacities from 1GB to 4GB, provides another option to simplify integration of embedded flash storage for music, photo, video files or other data in the growing number of portable consumer applications such as digital audio/MP3 players, gaming, portable media players, GPS devices and PDAs.
The trend of feature-rich electronic product development is driving the need for higher density data storage. Increasingly, designers are turning to Flash-based storage to solve product design challenges and meet business goals. In response to this growing demand, Toshiba has developed several enabling embedded memory solutions using cutting-edge 56nm process technology. Each solution includes high-density MLC NAND and a controller with a SD, MMC or NAND interface to simplify integration into embedded designs. These market-driven products enable a variety of applications to realize the solid-state performance benefits of MLC NAND Flash.
