SMART Modular Announces Second Generation eMMC Product Family

NEWARK, CA--(Marketwired - Feb 24, 2015) - SMART Modular Technologies, Inc., a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of specialty memory and storage solutions, including memory modules, flash memory cards and other memory and solid state storage products, today announced the introduction of its second generation eMMC product family which includes the addition of a new 153-ball, 11.5mm x 13mm, 0.5mm pitch JEDEC standard BGA package form factor. SMART's portfolio of eMMC solutions target automotive and industrial embedded applications.

The second generation eMMC spec. v4.51 compliant devices utilize the same controller and firmware code base as previous generation products while incorporating the latest technology node NAND die for cost competitiveness. Retaining the same controller and firmware enables customers to make an easy transition from previous generation eMMC. The new NAND die makes possible the smaller 153-ball package which has become the de facto industry standard 0.5mm pitch eMMC package.

Also available in 100-ball, 14mm x 18mm, 1.0mm pitch BGA package, SMART's eMMC offerings include automotive-grade (-40°C to +85°C), industrial-temp (-40°C to +85°C) and extended-temp (-25°C to +85°C) versions in 8GB to 64GB capacities. 8GB, 16GB and 32GB eMMC devices support additional v5.01 features with the exception of the HS400 interface speed mode.

SMART's eMMC products are manufactured in ISO-9001, ISO-14001 and TS-16949 certified facilities to the stringent requirements and certifications as mandated by automotive and industrial OEM's; such as AEC-Q100 compliance. SMART also adheres to PPAP BOM control and documentation requirements.

According to third party industry enablers and industry analysts, NAND Flash memory adoption in the automotive and industrial embedded applications is increasing tremendously. SMART, with its Flash storage solutions, has a long tradition in helping system designers deal with NAND technology limitations by making the complexity of the underlying NAND Flash architecture invisible to the host system. As with the previous eMMC generation, the newly introduced eMMC is designed from the ground up to meet requirements of mission critical applications. Leveraging on this capability with the second generation eMMC, SMART will continue to drive easy eMMC adoption in the automotive and industrial application markets by mitigating NAND Flash technology scaling issues, reducing time to market and product longevity. In addition, with the 153-ball device heading up the second generation introduction, SMART is participating in industrial designs requiring a small form factor and solder down storage solution aligning to the miniaturization trend with System on Module and Single Board Computer.

System designs can also benefit from additional features available in SMART's eMMC products such as: large boot partition size, configurable user area to pseudo-SLC mode, robust power loss protection and device health status reporting.

"This new generation of products demonstrates SMART's commitment to developing leading edge solutions as we continue to invest in the design and development of our eMMC product line for our customers with an eye on the future," said Alan Marten, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. "Our goal is not only to provide customers with the options and solutions they require today, but also to build partnerships as a dependable long term eMMC solutions provider."

SMART's new 153-ball eMMC products are available for sampling immediately, with volume production expected to begin in the second quarter of 2015. To request samples, please contact your SMART Modular Technologies regional sales manager found at http://smartm.com/contact/oem_sales.asp. More information on SMART's 153-ball and second generation eMMC products will be available at www.smartm.com in the second quarter of 2015.

SMART Modular Technologies will showcase its eMMC products at Embedded World 2015 Exhibition and Conference, Nuremberg Messe, Nuremberg, Germany. SMART will be showcasing in Hall 5, Stand 220.

About SMART Modular Technologies
SMART Modular Technologies is a global leader in specialty memory solutions serving the electronics industry for over 25 years. SMART Modular delivers solutions to a broad customer base, including OEMs that compete in the computing, networking, communications, storage, mobile and industrial markets. Focused on providing extensive customer-specific design capabilities, technical support and value-added testing services, SMART collaborates closely with their global OEM customers throughout their design process and across multiple projects to create memory solutions for demanding applications with differentiated requirements. Taking innovations from the design stage through manufacturing and supply, SMART Modular has developed a comprehensive product line comprised of DRAM and Flash memory technologies across various form factors. SMART Modular is part of the SMART family of global companies. See www.smartm.com for more information.