ADATA Launches microSD Cards Based on SLC NAND Memory
by Anton Shilov on April 25, 2019 4:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Memory Cards
- ADATA
- SD cards
- SLC
ADATA has introduced a new lineup of microSD cards that use SLC NAND and are aimed at industrial applications. By incorporating the lower-density and higher-reliability memory type, ADATA's IUDD362 are designed to offer enhanced endurance and a longer lifespans than typical TLC/QLC microSD cards, making the cards a better fit for harsh operating conditions.
ADATA’s IUDD362 microSD cards come in capacities of 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8GB. The manufacturer does not disclose the supplier of SLC NAND memory it uses, though the company’s key partners are well known. The devices support read/write speeds of up to 30/25 MB/s, and their power consumption is just 0.6 W.
It goes without saying that these kinds of low performance and capacity figures are not very impressive, especially when more traditional microSD cards can offer many times these figures. But performance isn't the cornerstone of the IUDD362 microSD cards; reliabiltiy is. ADATA says that the controller of the cards fully supports ECC technology, SMART capability that can indicate imminent drive failures, wear leveling, flash protection, hardware power detector, secure erase and other things to ensure maximum stability and reliability. As a result, the cards are rated for a 3 million hours MTBF.
Given the focus on reliability, unsurprisingly ADATA has also hardened the cards to operate in harsh environments. All told, the cards are rated to operate in wide range of temperatures, from -40°C to 85°C, making them a very good fit for including industrial automation and transportation systems (in-vehicle data loggers, etc.).
ADATA plans to start sales of its IUDD362 microSD cards shortly. Parties interested in getting them are advised to contact the company.
Related Reading:
- Kingston Launches High-Endurance microSD Cards: Up to 128 GB
- SanDisk Launches SD and microSD for Industrial and Automotive: Extreme Temps, Upped Reliability
- ADATA Launches ISSS314 and IM2P3388 Industrial SSDs: 3D NAND, Extreme Temps
- Micron and Western Digital Unveil 1 TB microSD Cards with A2
- HiDisc’s 1 TB SDXC Card with A2 Rating Now at Retail
- Lexar at CES 2019: 1 TB SDXC UHD-I Memory Card Announced
Source: ADATA
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Death666Angel - Thursday, April 25, 2019 - link
Depending on the price, I might try the 8GB one for a raspberry pi installation. Although I haven't had an SD card die there, yet, I also haven't been using a raspberry pi system a lot. Should be less than a 32GB mSD card, I hope (which are dog cheap these days).kpb321 - Thursday, April 25, 2019 - link
I doubt this 8gb card will be less than a standard 32gb card. That 32gb card is probably using TLC or QLC which means storing 8 or 16 values in 1 flash cell. This card uses MLC which stores a single value in the cell. Assuming everything else was equal this 8gb card would be a 64gb or 128gb card if used as TLC or QLC so I'd expect it to be at least as expensive as one of those cards and being a specialized industrial focused card probably even higher.limitedaccess - Thursday, April 25, 2019 - link
TLC and QLC store 8 and 16 states respectively but that only leads to 3 bits and 4 bits of information. 8GB SLC would be only 32 GB TLC or 64 GB QLC and not 64/128 as you state.The move from 1 bit per cell to 2 bits per cell was perfectly linear, twice the states (and complexities) for twice the information stored. TLC and QLC (and so forth) is you have exponentially more states but only a linear increase in actual bits.
Hul8 - Friday, April 26, 2019 - link
You didn't get the math right, either. :-)The equivalences for 8×1024³ cells would be:
SLC; 1 bit/cell: 8 GB,
MLC: 2 bits/cell: 2 x 8 = 16 GB,
TLC: 3 bits/cell: 3 x 8 = 24 GB,
QLC: 4 bits/cell: 4 x 8 = 32 GB.
PixyMisa - Thursday, April 25, 2019 - link
It's really a niche product for industrial embedded controllers. If the controller is inside a machine and you have to shut it down and pull it apart to swap a $2 memory card, you're better off spending $20 on that memory card up front.For regular users, a 32GB card with good wear levelling will be cheaper and work just as well.
Hul8 - Friday, April 26, 2019 - link
I think pricing like that is overly optimistic.Going from QLC -> SLC, you'd quarter the density, therefore 4x the cost of NAND per GB. Most of the fixed costs remain.
Add to that the lack of economies of scale and the durable construction; industrial use instead of consumer.
The 2 GB variant might be in the same price range as a regular 32 GB memory stick.
mikegrok - Friday, April 26, 2019 - link
or a dash cam, with continuous writes while the car is in use. It is cheaper than paying for medical bills of someone who waits for the vehicle to stop, then lays down in front, and claims a car to pedestrian accident.Spunjji - Friday, April 26, 2019 - link
My guess is you're either from Russia or have been watching Russian videos on the YouTubes :) In the USA it's not half so bad; they only need dash cams so that the owner's family can sue the police for wrongful death after the cop shoots them during a routine traffic stop ;)PeachNCream - Friday, April 26, 2019 - link
Wow, this went south pretty quickly.leexgx - Saturday, April 27, 2019 - link
So you're one of these people that think dashcams are only used to Sue the police, small minded person (ok sorry "surveillance cameras") dash cams in your car can get you out of a lot of trouble with the police and also assuming it wasn't your fault prove instant no fault on your insurance