KIOXIA introduces the first Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Ver. 4.0 for automotive applications.

• The new device by KIOXIA will allow the automotive applications to have major improved performance.
• The device is made to fit the demand for a powerful flash Storage for future automotive applications.
• The new UFS 4.0 offers improved performance up to +100% for reading speed.

KIOXIA announced that they were sampling the first Universal Flash Storage 4.0 embedded flash memory devices for automotive applications, these higher-performing devices deliver fast embedded storage transfer speeds while still retaining a small package size.

The new UFS 4.0 offers improved performance up to +100% for reading speed and approximately +40% for writing speed and enables these applications to take advantage of 5G connectivity benefits which leads to faster startup times and higher quality of user experience.

The new UFS 4.0 moves the technology forward with its BiCS FLASH 3D flash memory and a controller with a JEDEC-standard package, the new flash storage also incorporates MPIP M-PHY 5.0 and Uni-Pro 2.0 which supports theoretical interface speeds up to 23.2 (GBP/s) per lane or 46.4 (GBP/s) per device while still retaining backward compatibility with UFS 3.1.

The new device also supports a high-speed link startup sequence (HS-LSS) which features Enabling Link Startup ((M-PHY) and (UnitPro) initialization sequence) between device and host to be performed at (1248 megabits per second) which is expected to reduce the time for Link Startup by approximately 70% compared to the conventional methods.

The company is targeting the next variety of next-gen automotive applications like ADAS, telematics and infotainment systems. KIOXIA also addressed some advanced features and functionalities that are included such as:

• Refresh fracture which improves the data reliability by refreshing degraded data to prevent data corruption.
• Extended diagnosis feature which enables users to view important information from the UFS device allowing preventative action to be taken.

KIOXIA also noted that the device will be available with capacities of 128, 256, and 512 gigabytes, support a wide temperature range, and offer enhanced reliability capabilities that complex automotives require.

Axel Störmann CTO of memory and SSD products stated that “The automotive industry possesses unique technical demands that must be addressed by reliable, and application-tailored solutions. KIOXIA has recognized this requirement with the world’s first automotive-specific UFS Ver 4.0 embedded memory”.