UFS 3.0 Storage Standard Released and Offering Up to 23.2Gbps Data Rate

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association on Tuesday announced the launch of Universal Flash Storage (UFS) version 3.0. The new UFS 3.0 standard making it the first to introduce MIPI M-PHY HS-Gear4 with a data rate of up to 11.6Gbps per lane which is a 2x performance increase over UFS 2.1. In addition, that makes the collective data transfer speed Up to 23.2Gbps.If you are wondering about what is UFS and what is the significance of this? Then there is the answer. Universal Flash Storage (UFS) is a common flash storage specification for digital cameras, mobile phones, and consumer electronic devices. It aims to bring higher data transfer speed and increased reliability to flash memory storage.

UFS History:

The standard is developed by, and available from, the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association. In September 2013, JEDEC published JESD220B UFS 2.0 (update to UFS v1.1 standard published in June 2012). JESD220B Universal Flash Storage v2.0 offers increased link bandwidth for performance improvement, a security features extension and additional power saving features over the UFS v1.1.

UFS 3.0:

The new UFS 3.0 comes almost five years after the introduction of UFS 2.0. It offers double performance over the older specification. The new specification also improves the lifespan of NAND cells. It now Provides up to 2.5V of electricity with support for upcoming NAND technologies. It is also worth mentioning that in the previous generation worked on 2.7V to 3.6V. As mentioned earlier, the maximum data rate will be 23.2 Gbps with up to 11.6Gbps per lane because it is based on Full-Duplex transmission.

The new UFS 3.0 standard brings along two new features specifically designed for the automotive market. It brings the ability to function at an extended temperature range (-40°C to 105°C) and refresh operation. UFS high-speed serial interface and optimized protocol enable significant improvements in throughput and system performance.

Mian Quddus, Chairman of the JEDEC Board of Directors said:

“UFS 3.0, UFSHCI 3.0 and the UFS Card Extension update offer a host of enhancements over the prior versions of these standards that will help product designers enable significant improvements in mobile devices and related applications. The addition of features specifically for the automotive market underscores the commitment of JEDEC members to continue to evolve the UFS ecosystem to meet the needs of the industry and, ultimately, the consumer.”

Conclusion:

Alongside Processor and RAM, Storage types are also equally important in the performance of any device. UFS 3.0 will offer faster experience e.g- App Launch time will be quicker. Nowadays laptops and Smartphones already comes with the support of UFS storage. The new specification also aims to expand to other areas like automobiles. As the new standard can function at an extended temperature range (-40°C to 105°C).However, there is no word yet on the availability or market use of UFS 3.0 standard yet but we can expect to see smartphones with UFS 3.0 at MWC 2018. The MWC event will take place later on this month and Samsung could be the first smartphone manufacturer to launch devices with UFS 3.0 storage.

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