You asked for it: RealSSD C300 random IOPs

A lot of people are excited about the C300 demos we posted last week, and a number of you asked to see the random read/write IOPs numbers for the new drives. So I’ve asked one of our Apps guys, Todd, to shoot a video of the C300 running through the Iometer test. These are 4K transfers on 100% random read/write tests  with a queue depth of 32.

We’re using the same Intel Core2Duo system, equipped with our 256GB RealSSD C300 drive and a 6 Gb/s SATA host bus adapter. We also test it at SATA 3 Gb/s to show how it will perform in those systems. I think you’re going to like the results.

Tripling NAND Performance in Mobile Systems

We’ve been getting great response from customers who’ve seen our NAND performance demonstration, so we wanted to share it with a wider audience.

The test pits our single- and dual-plane SLC devices and NANDCode™ FTL software against Samsung’s OneNAND™ running on Microsoft’s FTL. The test system is a TI OMAP™ 3430 development platform running Windows Mobile® 6.5 OS. We changed out the onboard NAND with a simple PISMO card swap and then ran a 10MB system performance test.

The results are impressive and undeniable. The key is our custom NANDCode FTL software, which enables advanced performance features like dual-plane programming.

Watch the video below to see why some of our competitors’ customers have been willing to open their design cycles to take advantage of the big NAND performance gains offered by Micron’s MCPs.

Visit our Web site to learn more about our NANDCode software and how you can use it to boost performance in your next mobile design.

A look Inside the Flash Memory Summit ’09

Micron’s Kevin Kilbuck, director of strategic NAND marketing talks about the hottest buzz happening at this year’s FMS. It’s been a lively show this year, with an interesting debate about bringing high-quality NAND to enterprise applications, as well as a big announcement from us and Intel on 3-bit-per-cell MLC NAND technology. Let us know what you think about our interview with Kevin, and be sure to stay tuned for future news and updates.

SLC, MLC, & 3-bit MLC NAND—What’s the Difference?

In this 5-minute whiteboard video, strategic marketing director Kevin Kilbuck provides a brief description of the technical differences between SLC, MLC, and 3-bit MLC NAND. He also discusses how these products fit into a NAND process roadmap and why 3-bit MLC can be an effective complement an aggressive shrink roadmap (not a substitute for one). You’ll learn:

•    How the cell bit count controls the relationship between die size and density
•    Why cell density affects performance and reliability
•    Why 3-bit MLC is only suited for specific applications
•    How 3-bit MLC can complement an aggressive shrink roadmap
•    Why NAND process windows are going to grow in the coming years

Find out more about choosing the right NAND on micron.com/nand.

Will microdisplays change how you interact with the world?

By now you should know that Micron is in the business of microdisplays. It’s exciting stuff.

Researchers and engineers are on the cusp of discovering entirely new applications for microdisplay technology– far beyond simply displaying pictures and movies on a screen. Remember that Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report? Well, the ability to project information onto a surface and manually interact with it, to overlay real-time meta-data on a real-world object is not just for the movies anymore. Really smart people are designing products that can do just these kinds of things—with technology that exists today.

Once you combine microdisplays with other semiconductor technologies – such as accelerometers, image sensors, and wireless network connections– the possibilities are limitless. To get just an inkling of what’s coming, watch this presentation given at TED by Patti Maes – head of MIT’s media lab.

Understanding FLCOS Sequential color

We’re excited about the impact we think we can make in the display market. As Bruce wrote earlier, the speed of our proprietary FLCOS technology provides some noticeable advantages in image quality.

Basically, many of our LCOS competitors simulate color by filtering light through closely-placed RGB pixels; we build individual color pixels by quickly pulsing RGB light in place–a technique called sequential color.

Sequential color is a simple concept, but a bit difficult to grasp in text. We’ve put together a quick video to help explain how it works.

Take a look:

Enterprise-Class NAND: Coming to a Server Near You

Hey guys. The MAST folks asked me to get the blog up to speed on a very exciting announcement—our Enterprise NAND. In a nutshell, Enterprise NAND is a very high endurance SLC NAND device.  It has a write/erase cycle endurance of 1 million cycles. Seriously cool–that’s 10X standard NAND. So, what does it mean? Well, it means that NAND, in its various flavors, can play and perform in everything from thumb drives to performance SSDs and now, it also has a home in high endurance, high-transaction applications like data servers. And with the kinds of endorsements it’s getting from the likes of Sun Microsystems and Violin memory, I think we’re seeing NAND really come into its own. Anyway, check out the short video and the announcement for more info.

IOP/s Like You’ve Never Seen

This is exciting stuff.  I took some time–and a handy-dandy flipcam–on my recent trip out to the MAST Center to film Joe Jeddeloh’s demonstration of our enterprise PCI-e prototype. It’s really cool to prove (on hardware) what was thought-to-be-possible on paper.  Come on into the lab and see the kind of IOP/s we’re hitting with this thing for yourself.

HDD & SSD Counseling: “Prunes are Great!”

Unlike an SSD that has a measured and graceful life span–with time to coordinate a retirement, HDDs often die with absolutely no warning. And this traumatic event often takes our most valuable information to the grave. Our fifth “Counseling Session” video allows us to lament with poor HDD, as he mourns the nature of his mortality and worries about his own impending, and unpredictable, demise.

HDD & SSD Counseling: “Need a Woobie?”

Due to their sensitivities to heat, movement, and pressure, HDDs need stable, well-controlled operating conditions. They need a certain level of coddling. And, if you offset this delicate balance, prepare for disaster. In our fourth “Counseling Session” parody, we learn more about HDD’s fragile nature and the potential consequences of upsetting his carefully managed state of equilibrium.