Embedded computing specialist Advantech has now also commissioned its most successful German-speaking sales partner and system integrator, Aaronn Electronic, to distribute its industrial SSDs.
Markt&Technik: Aaronn has been a sales partner and system integrator for Advantech embedded computer technology for many years and has over 25 years of experience in the design-in of embedded computing boards and modules. However, it has never focussed on the sale of memory technology. Why are you now expanding the range to include SSDs?
Florian Haidn: There are several reasons for the expanded cooperation with Advantech in the area of industrial SSDs. On the one hand, we want to offer our customers even more from a single source and have recognised the increased demand for high-quality industrial storage technology in this context. Another important driving force is Advantech’s desire to strengthen its local reach with partners such as Aaronn. After all, we have a very high concentration of embedded computing providers in Germany and Advantech would like to maintain and further expand its leading position here together with partners like us. In terms of content, however, there is also an increased need for advice on the selection and use of SSDs.
Why is the demand increasing?
Not so long ago, SSDs were only in demand for particularly high-end applications. Classic hard disks were used in the bread and butter business. Today, SSDs have become much more affordable. As a result, there are significantly more areas of application and, with the increased variety of applications, the need for advice on selecting the right industry-standard SSDs is growing.
So not all SSDs are suitable for industrial use per se …
Compared to hard drives, they are certainly less susceptible to shock and vibration. However, there are also significant differences – just as with classic hard drives. Let me describe the requirements in terms of importance for our customers: The issue of long-term availability is the top priority for our customers, closely followed by the issue of product lifecycle management. SSDs from Advantech, for example, are available for at least three years after launch; every change, no matter how small, is documented via product change notifications. Both are extremely important for our customers. The possibility of customising the SSDs and/or freezing the firmware also plays an important role. Another important aspect is the high requirements for the temperature range and data security – both in the event of a power failure and protection against unauthorised data leakage. Here we offer customers comprehensive software support with features such as Flash-Look, Security-ID and Emergency-Erase in order to achieve the highest security levels. Last but not least, energy consumption is also an important criterion when selecting SSDs.
Does Advantech offer everything available on the SSD market? Surely there are requirements that you cannot fulfil?
Of course. You are better off buying a 512 GB SSD for 100 euros from a major consumer electronics retailer. No embedded SSD manufacturer can compete here. However, Advantech’s range of embedded SSDs, which differ in all the areas mentioned above due to their extended functionalities, is comprehensive – not least because of its leading position in embedded computer technology. The quality of Advantech SSDs is outstanding; the defect rate for the 630 series is less than 0.1 per cent.
What is your current SSD portfolio like?
Advantech’s SQFlash product range includes a wide variety of flash memory products through to enterprise-grade high-end SSDs. In total, we currently offer 332 different flash products from Advantech. Our consulting mission is to select the right solution for you. There is a choice of capacities from 1 GB up to the current 2 TB in eight different form factors from the 2.5 inch format to the extremely compact micro SSD, whereby 2.5 inch, M.2 and mSATA are currently the most popular. The interface technologies range from SD, IDE and SATA to PCI Express. The required temperature range can also be specified. Here we position ourselves in industrial and extended temperature ranges from 0 to +70 °C and from -40 to +85 °C respectively. Another important selection criterion is the flash type. SLC, MLC and Ultra-MLC are available. In my opinion, this point is one of the more consultation-intensive topics. The other parameters usually result from the application requirements.
What are the current trends in SSDs?
There is a trend towards ever more compact system designs with ever larger capacities. Advantech has therefore expanded its SSD product range to include the SQFlash 640 product series in the mSATA and M.2 form factors. Both types can be mounted parallel to the motherboard or carrier board via an edge connector and secured with screws. This makes the system design very flat and saves a dedicated hard drive slot. By mechanically securing the SSDs and eliminating the need for cabling, the system design is better able to withstand vibrations and shocks.
You recently presented such new SSDs with 1 TB for the extended temperature range. What are the applications for such extremely powerful mass storage devices in a small form factor?
The extended temperature range of -40 to +85 °C is of crucial importance in outdoor and in-vehicle applications; such a high storage capacity with 6.0 Gbit/s performance in the mSATA and M.2 SSD form factor is currently unique worldwide. We see fields of application here in the areas of edge and fog servers, which are installed in such harsh environments. They are used, for example, in video surveillance systems in public spaces and in Industry 4.0 servers in factories. We see further areas of application in the field of collaborative robotics and in self-driving logistics vehicles, where deep learning plays a role in situational awareness.
High performance typically leads to higher power consumption and corresponding heat development – especially with small form factors such as mSATA and M.2. How do you get to grips with such increasing hotspots?
The mSATA SSDs SQF-SMS 640 and the M.2 SSDs SQF-SM8 640 use ‘SATA 6.0 Gbit/s’ IC controller chips with very low power consumption of just 2.6 W. These SSDs therefore enable a compact system design with comparatively low heat dissipation. These SSDs therefore enable a compact system design with comparatively low waste heat. The performance leap towards more memory in a given space has therefore been realised through a reduction in power consumption. This allows customers to expand the storage capacity of their cramped embedded systems without having to change the thermal design.
Are there also memory improvements?
This new product series not only supports MLC flash technology, but also 3D V-NAND technology since the second half of 2017. 3D V-NAND offers the advantage over planar flash technology that it allows higher storage densities. With 3D V-NAND, the memory cells are arranged on top of each other instead of next to each other. The memory cells are connected vertically, which allows physically wider lines that have less influence on each other. This allows the structure widths to shrink further – without compromising on data reliability due to crosstalk, for example.
How long will the new SSDs be available?
All Advantech SSDs have an availability of at least three years after product launch. This may not sound like a long time compared to embedded computing boards, which are often made available for seven years or longer. However, if you look at the rapid leaps in performance in recent years and the enormous growth rates that are forecast for the SSD market, it is understandable that customers will want to rely on the latest technology in three years’ time, especially as it can be assumed that prices will continue to fall for a given level of performance.
So the current forecasts are good for your business?
Yes, you could definitely say that. Market researchers at Research and Markets are currently forecasting global growth of around 36 per cent by 2021. Prices will fall moderately while performance increases, which will lead to an attractive field of activity given the current growth rates.
Source: Markt & Technik