Wireless Technology Reduces Clutter Within SSDs

by Shawn Oliver

If you're into SSD advancement, International Solid State Circuits Conference 2009 is the place to be. Shortly after hearing of a new power system designed to save energy and cut production costs comes this, a discovery involving wireless communications and a solid state drive composed of 64 (yes, sixty-four) three-dimensionally layered NAND Flash memory chips.

The research was showcased by Keio University and its partners, who are utilizing an inductive-coupling wireless communication technology in order to construct SSDs that require less power and less components. In fact, drives developed using this method have the potential of sucking down up to 50 percent less energy, not to mention seeing a cutback of loaded LSI packages on the order of one-eighth. Led by Tadahiro Kuroda, professor of the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at Keio University, the team determined that a so-called "micro SSD" could be created from a single LSI package -- one that would obviously incorporate 64 NAND Flash chips along with around 200 conducting wires.

While 200 may sound like a lot, it's nothing compared to the 1,500 that are generally required, and the gap is covered by the newfangled wireless technology. Data communication between the memory chips and the control can be carried out wirelessly, meaning that cords would only be necessary for transmitting power and acting as grounding / control. As with most other demonstrations at ISSCC, there's no indication of how close this approach is to being viable in the marketplace, but we sure like the sound of it. Smaller, more energy efficient drives with the potential for more space? Sign us up!

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