Storage Devices for Automotive Applications: UFS

The rising trend of Artificial intelligence is enabling vehicles to be more intelligent and perform many smart functions to enhance the user experience. Modern vehicles are becoming a source of entertainment and making the journey more comfortable. The vehicles are now named robots because of the introduction of the autonomous driving system. These increasing changes are enhancing the values of higher-density storage devices to promote the smooth functioning of automotive applications. FORESEE is committed to launching excellent versions of automotive solutions by continuously evolving its memory technologies and architecture.

Memory Solutions Used in Automotive Applications

In the earlier days, automotive systems relied on solid state drives having SATA and PATA interfaces and hard disk drives but they were incompetent to deal with the heavy computation systems. The automotive market revolves around higher-density robust memory solutions and soon it shifted its interest from old hard disk drives to the latest memory solutions like eMMC and UFS. The eMMC and UFS were mainly designed to support the mobile industry. But due to their reliable architecture and long service life, the automobile industry adopted these technologies. Following the market trend, FORESEE has manufactured different versions of eMMC and UFS to support various applications.

But the speed of eMMC is limited to only specific car systems such as infotainment systems and demanding media applications. This is good for applications that support autonomous driving. Car engineers are rethinking new memory technologies that can enhance the functionality of upcoming infotainment systems. Universal flash storage is the latest memory interface that is perfect for managing the computation of advanced AI systems. FORESEE automotive UFS is meeting the requirements of car computing systems. The UFS interface is enabling the chip to provide excellent reliability and extended service life. The service period of UFS is longer than existing memory technologies and also this has fast data computation even in extreme working conditions. UFS devices are well suited to applications such as audio, video, and navigation, as well as for storing software updates for vehicles.

Applications Requiring Automotive UFS

The demand for storage in smart applications is leveling up with each passing day. Every memory vendor is trying to be competitive in the market by featuring memory solutions that are rich in data-driven specifications. The storage needs of simple to complex car applications are increasing over time which include:

· The storage demand for Car IVI System has increased from 64GB to 128GB

· Map navigation requires 128GB to store the maps data

· 8GB to 128GB space for storing HD recordings of Dash cameras

· Multimedia system – 8GB to 64GB

· Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS) storage requirement is increasing to 128GB

· The vehicle monitoring system, tracking system, and vehicle sensors, all are applications of automotive UFS.

Overcoming the Challenges in Automotive Storage

The Universal Flash Storage (UFS) standard is a high-performance flash-based storage device that has been developed to meet the stringent requirements of automotive applications. FORESEE car-grade chips are compiling the UFS 2.1 standard and UFS 3.1 is coming soon. This interface protocol is optimizing the read-and-write performance for rapid computation. This latest memory standard is overcoming the challenges of the automobile industry such as:

1. Higher Efficiency

The existing memory chips like HDDs and eMMC are limited in efficiency and performance while the UFS is offering higher data throughput than the later eMMC 5.1 versions. UFS supports the sequential read/write that is satisfying the higher efficiency needs of many car applications.

FORESEE automotive UFS solutions are made by employing the latest memory technologies like the LPDC algorithm that is coded to promote error-free data processing. Its multi-tasking feature is optimizing quick task management and is allowing the user to switch to other apps without any lagging. Its read speed reaches up to 700Mb/s which facilitates the smooth streaming of HD videos. It is offering the highest IOPS cycle which is further improving the user experience by enabling quick response from heavy applications. The UFS firmware is completely customizable to fulfill the needs of specific applications. The auto engineers are highly considering the universal flash storage interface over the eMMC interface because of UFS’s quick design integration, higher efficiency, and straightforwardness.

2. Reliable Operation

The automobile environment is very hostile and earlier chips like HDDs and eMMC don't last long. The continuous heat, vibrations, and shock in the automobile environment demand a memory chip that has a high level of endurance. To cope with this challenge, FORESEE launched the first’s car-grade UFS in the Chinese mainland to enhance the service life of heavy car applications. The components are packed by utilizing the FBGA 153 ball packaging that keeps the memory components together even under extreme working conditions. UFS chips are following the robust design architecture and can smoothly operate in the working temperature between 40℃~105℃.

3. Quality Requirements

The automotive sector is strongly concerned about the quality of memory chips to optimize the durability of computing systems. Auto engineers are demanding less DPPM memory solutions which is a challenge for memory manufacturers. Only AEC-Q100-qualified memory products are welcome in the automotive industry. FORESEE is certified by AEC-Q100 qualified which is a standard for determining the quality of memory chips by passing them through strict testing measures that are developed by intelligent technical personnel.

Conclusion

Automotive UFS is the future of upcoming car applications requiring higher density, reliability, endurance, and other technical specifications. This chip is enhancing the scope of the auto industry and allowing engineers to make cars more intelligent. UFS interface is obeying excellent safety standard that is a plus point for automakers. Memory manufacturers are consistently reinforcing the quality standards of UFS to provide the best results. FORESEE is consistently improving the quality by deploying memory products on strict quality criteria. We are investing heavily in new technologies to create innovative products with improved performance and reliability.