Delkin Blog

Industrial Flash storage is used in a variety of applications, which means that there has been a significant amount of research into the qualifications, interfaces, and technologies used in the cards. For people who are designing embedded hosts, there is a natural inclination to stay ahead of the curve by using the most advanced technology available. The reason for this is an attempt by designers to ensure that they don’t create host systems that rely on memory cards that are not available in the future. The push for OEM engineers to create applications that do not rely on vanishing technology is brought into clearer focus when you consider the lessons learned by people who designed around cards like MMC or xD.

The risk of choosing the wrong card and facing costly issues in the future leads many people to SD cards, but there have been changes with even this familiar format that can be troublesome to engineers. The newest SD specs include UHS-III bus interface and define the UHS speed class, application performance class, and video speed class, which has created some complications.

Customer Story

Delkin’s customer had a video logging application and wanted to add microSD cards to their backup cameras. Usually, the host recorded to a central location. However, in the case of a power outage or other kind of failure, the cameras would record locally. They looked into industrial and rugged SD card options, and they wanted the highest capacity available in the cards because they were recording video. The problem was that their budget did not stretch to cover the cards that they wanted.

Delkin Discovery

The Delkin Customer Applications team worked to gain a full picture of the needs of the customer and the indicators that appeared as their cards were used over an extended period of time. Using a combination of industry and proprietary tools, Delkin’s team monitored the signals and power usage of the cards, as well as the file type and how it was written. Using this data, Delkin discovered that the customer did not need high speed or high resolution, and that there were things that could be done to get the most efficient usage out of their memory cards without going to a higher price point.

Delkin Solution

Delkin used non-FAT optimizations, such as wear-leveling algorithms, and minimized the write amplification factor, or WAF, to extend the life of the memory cards. Delkin also changed how the firmware committed data and reduced garbage collection. These tweaks created a balanced and reliable card within Delkin’s Utility card line, which includes an industrial grade controlled BOM. All of this allowed the customer to meet their storage needs within their budget.

Lesson Learned

Just because technology is new doesn’t make it the best fit. Changing your existing card or host to accommodate your needs could be the most effective solution. Working with an experienced industrial storage team is the best way to get the right memory for your needs.

Lean on Delkin’s Technical Team

The Delkin Customer Applications team is on hand to help you solve problems with host storage. Reach out today for a free consultation to find the best flash-based storage for your application.