14 DAY TRIAL // Flash memory clearly represents the future of storage, as it provides certain very important advantages over its disk-based counterparts, as for example the reliability, size and even data transfer rates. And in order to further enhance the technical "prowess" of NAND modules, the Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFi) Working Group has just announced the availability of the 0.9 draft of the ONFi 2.0 specification to member companies, a move that signals the imminent release of the ONFi 2.0 specification in January 2008, which will define a high-speed NAND interface that delivers up to 133 MB/second in interface performance.
ONFi 2.0 reduces the time required to transfer data to and from the data buffer by using two techniques. The first is DDR (Double Data Rate) signaling, which is commonly used in DRAMs. Secondly, ONFi uses source synchronous clocks that accurately latch signals enabling higher frequencies to be realized. Further platform performance enhancements are possible by using commands standardized in ONFi 1.0. For example, techniques such as combining interleaving and cache commands enable developers to increase concurrency/parallelism.
The ONFi Working Group is dedicated to simplifying integration of NAND Flash memory into consumer electronics (CE) applications and computing platforms. It was formed in May 2006 and currently has 71 member companies. ONFi's founding companies include Hynix Semiconductor, Intel Corporation, Micron Technology Inc., Phison Electronics Corporation, Sony Corporation and STMicroelectronics.
The 0.9 draft of the ONFi 2.0 specification is currently available to members only, and will be available to the public online in Q1 2008. With the completion of the 2.0 specification, the ONFi Working Group will now focus on defining an addendum specification for a Flash module connector and form factor. This will enable an industry-standard, pluggable NAND module similar to a DRAM module used in computing platforms today.
Future generations of the specification will deliver speeds up to 400 MB/second. This next generation of the ONFi specification, targeted for completion in 2009, is aimed to double the interface speed delivered in ONFi 2.0, which means that in just two or three years' time NAND flash modules will reach access speeds superior to those provided by HDDs, thus further enhancing their range of uses.