JEDEC Updates Universal Flash Storage (UFS) Standard

Maturing Standard Offers Ultra-Fast Performance and Lower Power Consumption for Mobile Devices Such as Smartphones and Tablets

ARLINGTON, Va., USA – JUNE 25, 2012 – JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of key updates to its Universal Flash Storage (UFS) standard. Specifically tailored for mobile applications and computing systems requiring high performance and low power consumption, the new UFS v1.1 standard is an update to the v1.0 standard published in 2011, incorporating feedback from industry UFS technology implementers.  JESD220A Universal Flash Storage v1.1 contains important amendments and references to the latest related MIPI® Alliance specifications, and may be downloaded free of charge from the JEDEC website: http://www.jedec.org/standards-documents/results/jesd220a.

JEDEC has also published a complementary standard, JESD223A UFS Host Controller Interface (HCI) v1.1. JESD223A defines a standard host controller interface on which system designers can create a common host controller software driver layer to work with UFS host controller hardware from different manufacturers.  The HCI functionality also enables higher performance and power efficiency by minimizing the involvement of the host processor in the operation of the Flash storage subsystem.  JESD223A Universal Flash Storage Host Controller Interface v1.1 may also be downloaded free of charge: http://www.jedec.org/standards-documents/results/jesd223a.

Gartner forecasts that by 2014, there will be over 70 billion mobile applications downloads every year, with an increasing focus on enterprise applications, creating an ongoing demand for enhanced storage solutions.  UFS v1.1 continues to build on JEDEC Flash memory storage standards designed to help address this demand.  To allow for easy transition from e·MMC technology, UFS v1.1 has implemented functionality that are compatible with e·MMC v4.51 command protocol improvements such as Context ID (grouping different memory transactions under a single ID so the device can understand that they are related), and Data Tag (tagging specific write transactions so they can be prioritized and targeted to a memory region with higher performance and better reliability). 

To achieve the highest performance and most power efficient data transport, JEDEC UFS aligns with industry–leading specifications from the MIPI® Alliance to form its Interconnect Layer. This collaboration continues with UFS v1.1, which supports the M-PHY

TM

and UniPro

SM

specifications.  Recently published, the newest UniPro specification defines a universal chip-to-chip data transport protocol, providing a common tunnel for higher-level protocols. The updated M-PHY interface is designed as the primary physical interface (PHY layer) for the UniPro specification, and is a high speed serial interface. The next generation M-PHY reaches 2.9 gigabits per second (Gbps) per lane with up-scalability to 5.8Gbps per lane. 

“JEDEC intends to continue to enhance UFS to meet the needs of the industry, and the publication of UFS v1.1 and UFS HCI v1.1 underscore a firm commitment from memory manufacturers and leading consumer device and mobile OEMs for UFS,” said Mian Quddus, Chairman of the JEDEC Board of Directors and the JC-64 Committee for Embedded Memory Storage and Removable Memory Cards. 

Joel Huloux, Chairman of the MIPI Alliance Board of Directors, said: “Our relationship with JEDEC continues to be fruitful for both organizations. Companies implementing the new UFS v1.1 will have access to the most up-to-date PHY and protocol technologies. Together, these standards represent the next step in mobile device storage performance.”

About UFS

First published in February 2011, UFS is designed to be the most advanced specification for both embedded and removable Flash memory-based storage in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The initial data throughput for UFS is 300 megabytes per second (MB/s) over the bus in both uplink and downlink directions simultaneously, without infringing on bandwidth needed for other applications. UFS offers a low active power level and a near-zero idle power level, which, combined with the power-saving attributes of the related MIPI specifications, allows for significant reductions in device power consumption. The UFS standard adopts the well-known SCSI Architecture Model and command protocols supporting multiple commands with command queuing features and enabling a multi-thread programming paradigm.  This differs from conventional Flash-based memory cards and embedded Flash solutions which process one command at a time, limiting random read/write access performance.  The UFS HCI specification and the adoption of SCSI provide a well-known software programming model and are enabling wider market adoption.

About JEDEC

JEDEC is the leading developer of standards for the microelectronics industry. Over 4,000 participants, appointed by nearly 300 companies, work together in 50 JEDEC committees to meet the needs of every segment of the industry, manufacturers and consumers alike. The publications and standards that they generate are accepted throughout the world. All JEDEC standards are available online, at no charge. For more information, visit www.jedec.org.