Software Increases Embedded Memory Efficiency

Aug 25, 2008 2:51 PM, MD&D Staff

Handhelds like cell phones and media players do more than make calls or show your favorite videos. They’re platforms for music, movies, photos, messages, and more. But these functions demand more than memory. They also require the ability to sort through that memory efficiently and deliver what the user wants immediately and without draining precious battery life even further.

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Responding to these demands, Samsung Electronics is introducing software that optimizes the high-performance features of its OneNAND, FlexOneNAND, and moviNAND proprietary embedded flash memories for smart phones using the Windows Mobile (CE), Symbian, and Linux real-time operating systems (RTOSs). Specifically, the software optimizes data transactions within the memory chips as they interact with the operating system.

While working with any of the memory chips and the operating system, the new file system/flash drive combination boosts performance through faster booting, downloading, and searching. This will improve multimedia-intensive operations in smart phones as well as in 3G phones, digital still cameras, digital camcorders, memory cards, and digital televisions.

This embedded-flash software comprises several file systems and supportive flash drivers. The UniFS, PocketFS, and RFS file systems execute typical file operations like creating, removing, reading, and writing files. The UniStore, PocketStore, XSR, and FSR flash drivers prolong the device’s lifetime by wear-leveling and bad-block replacing. They also convert file system requests into low-level flash operations, including programming, reading, and erasing.

Samsung offers versions of the software for each of the major mobile operating systems. According to the company, it should broaden the adoption of advanced embedded-flash solutions, particularly where management of high-speed video images and high-resolution still images is important.

The OneNAND memory solution is available in a range of densities, from 256 Mbits to 2 Gbits. The FlexOneNAND is a single-die solution with the high-speed characteristics of single-level cell (SLC) NAND and the high-density characteristics of multi-level cell (MLD) NAND. MoviNAND combines a MultiMediaCard v.4 (MMC) controller with NAND to simplify system design requirements for embedded nonvolatile storage in data-intensive multimedia handsets.