As a breakthrough generation of flash memory that has separate paths for reading and writing data, Universal Flash Storage (UFS) is capable of simultaneously transferring data in both directions. It is one of several standards of flash memory1 storage for embedded systems2, and it also refers to products made for this standard.
1Flash memory: A non-volatile storage medium that can erase and rewrite data.
2Embedded systems: Computer systems that fulfill a specific purpose. These systems are used to power devices such as smartphones, GPS navigations, TVs, wearables, and digital cameras.
In the video above, you can see a road sign that says “one-way eMMC.”
Like UFS, embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC)3 is one of the standards for flash memory storage devices. For eMMC products, the direction of data can only be changed when either the host or the device sends data and the other side receives all of it, signifying that data cannot be sent from both sides at the same time. This is explained by the “one-way eMMC ” road in the video where cars on one side must finish getting through before cars on the other side can use the road.
3Embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC): A small storage device made up of NAND flash memory and a simple storage controller.
Today, the amount of data to be processed is continuing to expand due to the ever-increasing resolutions of videos and images taken by mobile devices. Moreover, data processing needs to be even faster as we approach a hyper-connected society made possible through digital technologies like the metaverse and cloud computing. Such changes demand a storage standard that has better performance capabilities than the existing eMMC—something that can go beyond the limitations of a one-way road.
Thus, UFS comes in. With UFS, both the host and device are able to send data in both directions at the same time, just like a two-way road. In addition, UFS speeds up performance as it is capable of handling multiple I/O commands simultaneously.
SK hynix has released its UD310 and UD220 memory solutions based on UFS 3.1 and UFS 2.2 specifications, respectively. Not only are they both smaller and more energy efficient than previous products, but they also offer faster reading and writing speeds. After SK hynix developed the world’s highest 238-layer NAND in August 2022, the company is seeking ways to apply this advanced technology to future versions of UFS.
As a global technology company that develops and produces some of the world’s most advanced NAND products, SK hynix is leading the future of memory and storage devices.
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