by
Mark Ollig
It
was 36 years ago when the first solid-state drive (SSD) computer storage device
was introduced.
Dataram
Corporation, a New Jersey technology company founded in 1967, is a maker of
computer software, and memory/data storage products.
In
1976, Dataram introduced the first true SSD, called the Bulk Core system.
Eight
individual memory cards, each packaged with 256KB (kilobytes) of Random Access
Memory (RAM) chips were installed in a rack-mounted chassis that measured
19-inches wide by 15.75-inches high.
The
Bulk Core system provided 2MB (megabytes) of memory storage (considered large
in 1976) for several computers of that time.
Some of these computers were ones
made by Data General and Digital Equipment Corporation.
This
system used a core memory, which is said to have been 10,000 times faster than
that of the traditional read-write hard disk drive (HDD) spinning metal platter
storage systems used back in 1976.
The
Bulk Core system consumed less power and had no moving parts – just like
today’s SSDs.
The
time needed to access the stored data on the Bulk Core system ranged from 0.75
milliseconds to 2 milliseconds.
By
comparison, today’s flash memory SSDs have a nominal data access time of around
0.06 milliseconds.
Flash
non-volatile memory retains its data when not powered. It uses non-moving parts
(computing chips) and a controller component whereby data stored in memory can
be programmed, quickly accessed and read, erased, and re-programmed.
During
the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, Swiss Army knife maker Victorinox showed
off their new knife which included a compact USB 3.0 SSD drive containing an
impressive 1TB (terabyte) of storage capacity.
This
1TB drive can be accessed via a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port, and has a
dotted-monochrome LED display that can be programmed for labeling the drive.
The
price: $2,000.
Granted,
this price is exceptionally more expensive than what a typical external 1TB
portable hard drive you can simply plug into your USB port would cost (which is
around $150), but, if you really want to impress your tech-geek friends this
Christmas with a Swiss Army knife containing a 1TB SSD stick – go for it.
Here
is an eye-catching photo of the Victorinox Swiss Army knife and 1TB SSD:
http://tinyurl.com/cyx5go3.
Traditional
hard disk drives use tiny magnetic variants that are read by the disk’s
read/write head, similar to how music in a groove from a vinyl record is read
by the record player’s needle.
Although
the inevitable (and understandably) traumatic event of a computer internal hard
disk drive crash is looking to soon become a thing of the past, there exists an
equally troubling dilemma with using SSDs.
Newer,
lighter, and more robust SSDs are being put into increasingly more powerful
computing devices.
Today,
SSDs are commonly used as a storage medium – it’s easy plugging them into a
connecting port.
They
are lighter, smaller, and more durable than a traditional HDD.
We
put them into our digital cameras for storing photos and video. SSDs also store
our music, apps, and other files.
However,
SSDs do have a limit to how many times they can store and re-store data.
SSDs
use computer chips that store the data onto a thin oxide layer, which,
unfortunately, degrades the more it is used.
Flash
memory wears out after about 10,000 program-erase or P/E cycles.
This
is because every time the data is rewritten or “flashed,” the layer of oxide
will degrade a bit.
After
doing about 10,000 P/E cycles, this oxide layer will have degraded to the point
where it can no longer be used.
Engineers
working for Macronix International, a leading provider of non-volatile memory
semiconductor solutions, have created an ingenious way for repairing this oxide
layer to dramatically extend the life of the SSD.
While
it was known heat could be used to repair damage done to the oxide layer, its
application was not practical, as it would require the chip to be heated for
several hours at about 482 degrees Fahrenheit.
The
Macronix engineers designed a chip with built-in heaters which are able to
restore this oxide layer by quickly “jolting” the oxide layer with heat – up to
1,470 degrees Fahrenheit – for just a few milliseconds.
By
doing this periodically, and alternating the heat to different parts of the
chip, engineers say they can increase the P/E cycles from 10,000 to an
incredible 100 million.
This
process means we will soon be able to use with confidence, SSD storage devices
for an extended period of time and not worry about them failing, which to me,
is remarkable.
