Microchip introduces SSD Controller Family for Lightning-Fast PCIe Gen 5

The data center industry is experiencing a surge in demand due to the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud-based services. To meet these evolving needs, Microchip Technology has introduced the Flashtec NVMe 5016 Solid State Drive (SSD) controller. This powerful controller, with its 16-channel, PCIe Gen 5 NVM Express (NVMe) design, offers enhanced bandwidth, security, and flexibility.

According to Pete Hazen, Vice President of Microchip’s data center solutions business unit, “Data center technology must evolve to keep up with the significant advancements occurring in AI and Machine Learning (ML). Our fifth-generation Flashtec NVMe controller is designed to lead the market in fulfilling the increased need for high-performance, power-optimized SSDs.”

The Flashtec NVMe 5016 controller is specifically tailored to support enterprise applications that require low Latency and high performance. It is ideal for online transaction processing, financial data processing, database mining, and other latency-sensitive tasks. Additionally, it meets the demands of AI workloads by providing higher throughput for reading and writing large data sets used in model training and inference processing. With a sequential read performance of over 14 GB per second, the NVMe 5016 controller maximizes the utilization of compute resources in both traditional and AI-accelerated servers.

In addition to its compatibility with the latest NVMe host interface standard, the NVMe 5016 controller boasts a high random read performance of 3.5M iOS per second. It also focuses on power-sensitive data center needs, delivering over 2.5 GB of data per watt. The controller incorporates advanced node technologies and features power management capabilities like automatic idling of processor cores and autonomous power reduction. Furthermore, it supports the latest Flash memory technologies, including Quad-Level Cell (QLC), Triple-Level Cell (TLC), and Multi-Level Cell (MLC) NAND, with strong Error Correction Code (ECC) capabilities. All Flash management operations are performed on-chip, minimizing the impact on host processing and memory resources.

Greg Matson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Marketing for Solidigm, praises the Flashtec PCIe controller’s architecture, stating that it addresses the power optimization requirements for demanding applications. He believes that its processing power and compact design make it an excellent choice for AI workloads.

Microchip’s partnership with Longsys has also played a significant role in the development of the Flashtec NVMe 5016 controller. Huabo Cai, Chairman and CEO of Longsys, commends Microchip’s reliable and flexible architecture, which complements Longsys’ enterprise solutions. This collaboration aims to deliver efficiency and reliability to high-performance enterprise SSDs.

The NVMe 5016 controller offers flexibility and scalability, reducing the total cost of ownership. Its advanced virtualization capabilities, such as single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV), multiple physical functions, and multiple virtual functions per physical function, maximize PCIe resource utilization. The controller’s programmable platform allows developers to utilize Flexible Data Placement (FDP) in their SSDs, optimizing performance, efficiency, and reliability. Combined with Microchip’s Credit Engine for dynamic resource allocation, the NVMe 5016 controller enables reliable on-demand cloud services.

Maitry Dholakia, Vice President of Memory Products for Kioxia America, Inc., commends Microchip’s ongoing innovation of ECC in Flashtec controllers. He believes that their flexible architecture is compatible with KIOXIA’s advanced NAND flash products, providing customers with excellent solutions.

Dan Loughmiller, Director of NAND Product Line Management and Applications Engineering at Micron, also praises Microchip’s new NVMe SSD controllers. Micron’s collaboration with Microchip within the data center storage ecosystem allows customers to combine their packaged NAND solutions with Microchip’s controllers. This partnership continues to deliver compatibility with Micron’s NAND, fostering further innovation in the industry.

As data storage volumes increase, the need for robust and reliable security measures becomes paramount. The Flashtec NVMe 5016 controller prioritizes enterprise-level integrity and dependability. It incorporates comprehensive data protection, uninterrupted operations, and safeguards confidential information.

To ensure the integrity of firmware and data throughout its lifecycle, the controller integrates security features such as Secure Boot with a hardware Root-of-Trust and dual signature authentication. It supports various security standards through diverse authentication algorithms and provides encryption for data-in-transit (link level) and data-at-rest (media level). The controller adheres to stringent security protocols, including the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-3 Level 2 and the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Opal standards.

In terms of data integrity and reliability, the NVMe 5016 controller employs overlapping end-to-end data protection with NVMe Protection Information (NVMe PI) and single error correction and double error detection (SECDED) ECC. It also utilizes advanced error correction through Adaptive LDPC and incorporates failover recovery mechanisms using Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) techniques, further enhancing the resilience of the storage system.

Microchip provides an ecosystem of tools to support the Flashtec NVMe 5016 PCIe Gen 5 SSD controller. This includes evaluation boards in various NAND options, a Software Development Kit (SDK) with PCIe-compliant front-end firmware, and Microchip’s ChipLink tool for advanced debugging.

Microchip’s Flashtec NVMe 5016 controllers are now available for sampling to qualified customers. With its impressive performance, reliability, and security features, this controller is poised to meet the evolving needs of the data center industry in the era of AI and cloud computing.

Background Information

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About Kioxia:

Kioxia is a global leader in flash memory and solid-state drive (SSD) technology, originating from Toshiba Memory Corporation, which rebranded as Kioxia in 2019. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Kioxia develops high-quality memory solutions, serving various markets including consumer electronics, data centers, and industrial applications. The company is known for pioneering NAND flash memory technology, focusing on innovation, data storage solutions, and sustainability.

  

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Technology Explained

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FIPS: The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) encryption standard encompasses a set of specifications and guidelines established by the U.S. government to ensure the security and interoperability of cryptographic algorithms and protocols. These standards are crucial for protecting sensitive information and facilitating secure communication across various systems and organizations. FIPS-approved algorithms, such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), and SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm), undergo rigorous evaluation and testing to meet stringent security requirements, providing a foundation for secure data handling and transmission in both government and non-government sectors.

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Latency: Technology latency is the time it takes for a computer system to respond to a request. It is an important factor in the performance of computer systems, as it affects the speed and efficiency of data processing. In the computer industry, latency is a major factor in the performance of computer networks, storage systems, and other computer systems. Low latency is essential for applications that require fast response times, such as online gaming, streaming media, and real-time data processing. High latency can cause delays in data processing, resulting in slow response times and poor performance. To reduce latency, computer systems use various techniques such as caching, load balancing, and parallel processing. By reducing latency, computer systems can provide faster response times and improved performance.

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NAND: NAND technology is a type of non-volatile memory that is used in many computer applications. It is a type of flash memory that is used to store data in a non-volatile manner, meaning that the data is not lost when the power is turned off. NAND technology is used in many computer applications, such as solid-state drives, USB flash drives, digital cameras, and memory cards. It is also used in many embedded systems, such as cell phones, tablets, and other consumer electronics. NAND technology is a reliable and cost-effective way to store data, making it a popular choice for many computer applications.

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NVMe: Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) is a newly developed technology that has been gaining traction in the computer industry. This technology is a standard interface which allows for high-speed storage and retrieval of data from solid state drives (SSDs). NVMe is designed to increase the speed of data transfers in storage systems by enabling a direct connection to PCI Express (PCIe) bus, resulting in significantly faster access times compared to traditional interface protocols such SSDs. NVMe is particularly useful for applications that require lightning-fast access to large amounts of high-value data. NVMe-based SSDs are being widely adopted in the computer industry and are being employed to power data centers, high-end workstations, and gaming machines to support lightning-fast data processing and retrieval, which unlocks possibilities for machine learning, real-time analytics, edge computing, and other cutting-edge applications. NVMe is proving to be an invaluable tool in the field of computing, offering immense

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PCIe: PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for connecting components such as graphics cards, sound cards, and network cards to a motherboard. It is the most widely used interface in the computer industry today, and is used in both desktop and laptop computers. PCIe is capable of providing up to 16 times the bandwidth of the older PCI standard, allowing for faster data transfer speeds and improved performance. It is also used in a variety of other applications, such as storage, networking, and communications. PCIe is an essential component of modern computing, and its applications are only expected to grow in the future.

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RAID: RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology used in the computer industry to increase the performance, reliability, and storage capacity of computer systems. It works by combining multiple hard drives into a single logical unit, allowing them to be accessed as if they were a single drive. This allows for faster data access, as multiple drives can be accessed simultaneously, and for increased reliability, as data can be stored redundantly across multiple drives. RAID is commonly used in servers, workstations, and other high-performance computing systems, as well as in consumer-level storage solutions such as NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices.

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SSD: A Solid State Drive (SSD) is a modern data storage device that employs flash memory technology to store data electronically. Unlike traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), SSDs have no moving parts, resulting in significantly faster read and write speeds. This leads to quicker boot times, faster application loading, and smoother overall system performance. SSDs are known for their durability, shock resistance, and energy efficiency, making them ideal for laptops, ultrabooks, and other portable devices. They come in various form factors, including 2.5-inch, M.2, and PCIe cards, and are favored for their reliability, quiet operation, and reduced heat generation

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