Accurate life prediction for the true industrial grade E.MC

Swissbit AG has provided a firmware update for its reliable E.MC memory module. When updated, the rugged E.MC 5.0 for industrial applications will feature permanent life monitoring. The new firmware allows very precise testing and inference of aging behavior depending on the conditions of different applications. This will make it possible to reliably predict the lifetime of flash memory in critical applications and minimize failures.

Swissbit offers E.MC 5.0 with capacities ranging from 4Gb to 64Gb, with a choice of freely configurable MLC version EM-20 and pre-configured pSLC memory EM-26. The managed NAND module operates in the industrial-grade temperature range of -40°C to 85°C, making it ideal for guiding data carriers and writing-intensive applications. Since E.MC's components are permanently welded through BGA and cannot be replaced, the prediction of E.MC's service life is essential to help define the scope of application.

Two major firmware upgrades

The new firmware for the EM-20 and EM-26 provides very accurate counters for targets, average and maximum block erasures in the MLC and pSLC regions, and the number of spare blocks on each chip. It also provides access by extending the CSD register, which is the default procedure for every E.MC host driver. Thanks to this innovation, after a short testing phase, the average deletion counter can be compared to the target deletion counter and the results can then be reliably inferred. Instead of using vendor-specific access patterns to achieve access, opting for access via extended CSD registers provides a fully standard access path.

Persistence solution

Although the E.MC standard supports basic lifetime control, it only shows the percentage of memory wear at a lower resolution. In order to make reliable inferences within the standard range, the test time takes several weeks. With the new Swissbit firmware, lifetime prediction of application-specific profiles can be significantly accelerated and more accurate. This allows users to easily choose the right capacity based on the life cycle of the application.

Roger Griesemer, General Manager of Memory Solutions at Swissbit, said: "We are constantly investing in product improvements to be able to deliver reliable storage and embedded IoT solutions to our customers. The new firmware is an important step in effectively managing the lifetime of E.MC modules."