Spotlight on M.2

M.2 is a small, rectangular solid state drive (SSD) designed to be used in small form factor devices. It offers the power and reliability of an SSD in a size that makes it compatible with even the smallest devices. M.2 is a top pick of designers and OEMs who need a drive that doesn’t sacrifice power and reliability for the sake of size. This SSD format has become increasingly popular over the years since its introduction, thanks to the trend toward smaller, more powerful electronic devices in both industrial and consumer applications. Here is a closer look at M.2 SSDs and the reasons behind their popularity.

M.2 Basics

Although most people refer to these drives as M.2, their official name is Next Generation Form Factor, or NGFF. They are designed to work with the SATA 3.0 interface, as well as PCIe 3.0 and USB 3.0. The ability to use PCIe 3.0 means that M.2 drives can offer reduced latency when used with the NVMe protocol.

The drives are rectangular in shape and come in a variety of lengths. The length helps to determine the capacity. Generally, the longer the M.2 drive is, the more capacity it will have. The length creates additional space on the drive for flash memory chips, thus increasing the amount of storage space available.

M.2 and mSATA: Which Is Better?

Both M.2 and mSATA are high-quality, reliable drives. Choosing the right one comes down to your device and how it will be used. If you’re looking for a replacement drive for an older device, then it is likely you will need to choose mSATA, since the device is not likely to have the appropriate connectors for M.2 drives. However, if you’re designing a new application and looking for speed and low latency, then you may wish to design around the idea of using M.2 to ensure that you can easily integrate it.

Both M.2 and mSATA drives are available with industrial grade flash memory. With industrial grade memory, you get SLC flash, in which only one bit of data is stored per cell. This provides the highest possible levels of speed and security. If you have an industrial application, industrial M.2 SSDs are capable of meeting your needs.

At Delkin, we know that there aren’t any one-size-fits-all solutions for embedded storage, which is why we offer a comprehensive range of options. Let our customer team help you find the right embedded memory solution for your application today.

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