LSI shows off its next-gen SandForce SSD controller

X-bit Labs reports LSI demonstrated its upcoming SSD controller solutions at the Flash Memory Summit 2013. The company revealed the capabilities of the next-generation SandForce SSD controllers, as well as its improved SandForce SF2000 series, which now supports Toshiba's second-generation advanced 19nm NAND flash memory (A19nm), allowing SSD makers to market more affordable disks. On top of that, LSI also showed its SHIELD technology:

LSI demonstrations include LSI SHIELD technology, an advanced error-correction method designed to deliver enterprise-class SSD endurance and data integrity, even while using less expensive flash memory that typically has higher error rates. SHIELD technology is a unique implementation of low-density parity-check (LDPC) code and digital signal processing (DSP) that will be available in next-generation SandForce flash controllers. The technology combines hard-decision, soft-decision and DSP to provide a comprehensive error correction code (ECC) solution that is optimized for flash memory.

LSI SHIELD technology offers advantages over existing LDPC implementations by uniquely combining several features:

Adaptive code rate: dynamically balances performance and reliability over the life of the SSD;

Smart handling of transient noise: reduces overall LDPC latency for improved ECC efficiency;

Multi-level ECC schema: judiciously applies stronger levels of ECC to minimize latency while maintaining optimal flash performance;

The demonstration of SHIELD technology at Flash Memory Summit showcased the error-correction advantages of SHIELD technology versus existing LDPC and Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) code methods through a comparison of the three technologies based on various raw bit-error rates (RBER) from the flash.