Tech Brief
eMMC NANDrive™ and Industrial SD Cards in Embedded Systems
Why Do Systems Use SD Cards?
Secure Digital (SD) memory cards have been widely used since their introduction in 1999 for mass data storage in various
consumer devices. The small size and low power consumption of SD cards make them ideal for smart phones, digital
cameras, drones, tablet computers and GPS devices. Many embedded industrial designers may seek to take advantageof the wide availability of SD cards if they prefer their storage to be removable. However, the need for an SD connector
and the potential mechanical reliability considerations can be problematic. The removable aspect of SD cards may be
useful for some applications, but they are not suitable for storing sensitive data if the device can be easily removed by an
unauthorized user, or for use in embedded systems deployed in high vibration and shock environments.

NANDrive™ and SD Card Differences
As the size of embedded systems continues to shrink, there is a need for even more compact form factor storage than offeredby SD cards. Being physically smaller than an SD card, industrial temperature NANDrive solid state drives (SSDs) are an idealsolution. No extra connectors are needed because NANDrive is soldered directly onto the printed circuit board (PCB), making it
resistant to shock and vibration. In addition, no host software changes are required if standard drivers and protocols are used.
For embedded applications that require high reliability, performance and security, eMMC NANDrive offers additional built-in
advanced features that cannot be found in today’s SD cards, such as a dedicated pin (WP#) for write protection, secure erase andTRIM support. SD cards also lack advanced power interrupt data protection, which is a standard feature of eMMC NANDrive. The
table on the next page includes key product specifications comparing industrial SD cards and eMMC NANDrive SSDs.

Implementation Considerations
The SD command interface is similar to the eMMC interface, but has additional commands related to copy protection. Most
standard driver implementations initially use only those commands supported by both standards for the initialization andidentification process. After it is clear whether there is an SD or eMMC type device on the host bus, the correct protocols should beemployed so most systems will be able to accommodate both SD and eMMC devices.

Applications

Typical Design Using eMMC NANDrive

GPSI2C

Touchscreen
Controller

SPI

Color
Display

Display
Controller

Bluetooth

UART

SensorSensorInterfaceCPU

Imaging /Video / Audio
Accelerator

2D / 3D
Graphics
Accelerator

Image Signal
Processor

SD / eMMC

Embedded Platforms

www.NANDrive.com— In-vehicle infotainment— GPS and telematics— Data recorder— Video conferencing— Tablet PC— Multi-function printer— Point-of-Sale terminal— VoIP system / PBX— Wireless base station— Router / Gateway / Switch— Set-top box— Industrial PC / Single-board computer— Ultrasound and medical imaging— Industrial automation and control— Test and measurement equipment— Video surveillance / ID terminal
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eMMC NANDrive™ and Industrial SD Cards in Embedded Systems

eMMC NANDrive Compared to Industrial SD Cards
CategoryFeature

PerformanceForm Factor

Characteristic

eMMC NANDrive

Industrial SD Cards

Capacity

512 MB to 64 GB

128 MB to 128 GB

Host Interface

eMMC

SDPower
Consumption

Sleep mode: Up to 300 mA (typical)

Sleep mode: Up to 300 mA (typical)

Power
Management

Zero wake-up latency without hostintervention

N/A

Sequential
Read

Up to 185 MB/s

Up to 95 MB/s

Sequential
Write

Up to 140 MB/s

Up to 90 MB/s

OperatingTemperature-40°C to +85°C (Industrial)-40°C to +85°C (Industrial)

Package

14mm x 18mm x 1.40mm (100b)
11.5mm x 13mm x 1.35mm (153b)

32mm x 24mm x 2.10mmThe eMMC NANDrive family of embedded SSDs integrate Greenliant’s advanced
eMMC controller with one or more NAND flash die in a multi-chip package. eMMCNANDrive is available with 2-bits-per-cell (MLC) or 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) NAND tomeet various customer requirements for lifespan, endurance and performance.
Ideal for automotive, industrial, medical, security and networking applications,these high-reliability SSDs are offered in both 100-ball and 153-ball packages.
A built-in microcontroller and flash file management firmware replace the needfor host-side Flash File System (FFS). eMMC NANDrive is compatible with many
NXP/Freescale, NVIDIA, TI, Intel, Qualcomm, AMD and other popular chipsets.
It operates at full industrial temperatures between -40 and +85 degrees Celsius,
giving customers data storage that can withstand the most severe conditions.
Available in various capacities, these space-saving products are designed withenhanced data integrity and security features.

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For more information, contact your Greenliant representative: www.greenliant.com/sales© 2018 Greenliant
These specifications are subject to change without notice. 09/2018
Greenliant, the Greenliant logo, and NANDrive are registered trademarks or trademarks of Greenliant.