Toshiba's DDR toggle mode flash could triple SSD speeds
updated 02:50 pm EDT, Wed August 11, 2010
Toshiba DDR toggle mode NAND to speed flash drives
Toshiba today brought out its first instance of double data rate, toggle mode (DDR) NAND flash memory in a bid to improve speeds across the board. The 32 nanometer multi level cell (MLC) and single level cell (SLC) chips have a much faster interface than usual and can shuttle more data, even compared to a traditionally fast SLC chip. DDR toggle mode memory makes up to 133 million transfers per second, or more than three times the 40 million transfers SLC has usually managed.
The new technique could at the same time lower the power consumption than other performance-driven chips. It can still work asynchronously like most flash memory and doesn't need a clock to keep data moving smoothly. Toshiba vows that performance could get even faster with the second generation of toggle mode memory at up to 400 million transfers.
Ship times weren't mentioned by the Japanese firm, but it will have 32, 64 and 128 gigabit (4GB, 8GB and 16GB) capacities. The company expects it to reach "high performance" uses of flash, which often include SSDs, though media players, smartphones and tablets also regularly need fast, sustained access.
