KIOXIA introduces Software-Enabled Flash technology

KIOXIA is launching a new technology which, it claims, extends the life of flash storage, makes it easier to use and more predictable in nature. The company calls the new technology Software-Enabled Flash.

Software-Enabled Flash – or SEF for short – is software build around a “flash-native API”. SEF is expected to bring many benefits to flash based storage devices – including, but not limited to, “host CPU offload, flexible DRAM configurations, latency control and buffer management.”

KIOXIA says that the new technology will be easy to integrate with upcoming products and that “any flash supplier can engineer their device to execute the API.” The company also announces that the API will be open source and that the company will release sample source code that will make it easier to understand how to program and use SEF.

The Japanese Flash manufacturer describes SEF as “hardware and software working together”. The “hardware” part includes a “controller that handles page programming, lifetime extension, ECC and defect management”, whereas the “software” part consists of a software development kit with a new API and library.

KIOXIA has released a more in-depth explanation of how Software-Enabled Flash works HERE.

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KitGuru says: So far we only know what KIOXIA has announced about Software-Enabled Flash. It will be interesting to see the technology in use and see how big impact it has on devices. What are your thoughts on Software-Enabled Flash?

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