On March 20, 2024, the China Flash Memory Summit (CFMS 2024) was held in Shenzhen, attracting storage giants from around the world. Jiangbolong, along with its brands FORESEE and Lexar, introduced a range of newly developed storage products, including QLC eMMC storage chips, LPCAMM2 memory, CXL memory expansion modules, NM/microSD/SD memory cards, and more. They also engaged in in-depth discussions with several top executives from Jiangbolong.
Chairman and General Manager Cai Huabo shared in his speech Jiangbolong's strategic layout of transitioning from a "memory manufacturer" to a "semiconductor storage brand enterprise," as well as how to break through the $2 billion revenue ceiling of mainstream business models. Cai emphasized that Jiangbolong adheres to independent research and development, has achieved relatively complete storage chip independent design capabilities, mastered SLC/MLC NAND flash memory, controller chip design capabilities, especially in the large-scale production of SLC NAND flash memory chips.
Meanwhile, Jiangborong has established its own high-end packaging testing and manufacturing center, including acquired entities such as Yuancheng Suzhou, Zilia in Brazil, as well as self-built facilities like Zhongshan Data Center Storage Special Line, leading in packaging testing and manufacturing bases. This encompasses various aspects of the industry chain including chip design, hardware and software design, wafer processing, packaging testing, and production manufacturing.
On the product front, Jiangbolong currently focuses on two main lines: FORESEE, which is an industry-grade storage brand, and Lexar, positioned as an international high-end consumer storage brand. These cover a wide range of products including storage chips, USB flash drives, SSDs, memory cards, and RAM modules.
As QLC (Quad-Level Cell) technology gradually becomes more prevalent, Jiangbolong has taken the lead in integrating 3D QLC into eMMC products, globally launching the FORESEE QLC eMMC. This meets the industry demand for "cost reduction and capacity expansion," particularly suitable for high-capacity storage in smartphones.
Powered by Jiangbolong's proprietary controller WM6000 and unique QLC algorithms and firmware, it has reached mass production status, with performance and reliability comparable to TLC eMMC. The interface protocol supports eMMC 5.1, with sequential read and write speeds reaching 340MB/s and 300MB/s respectively. Initial capacities are 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, with a 1TB version set to be quickly introduced based on market demand.
Explaining why Jiangbolong chose to introduce QLC flash into eMMC products first, Chen Yong, Product Director of Jiangbolong's Embedded Storage Business Unit, pointed out that QLC, as a high-density, high-capacity, low-cost flash medium, meets the high demand for larger storage capacity at lower costs. Several years ago, Jiangbolong began considering the feasibility of using QLC for eMMC, conducting extensive customer exchanges, in-depth market research, and active communication with NAND flash manufacturers, identifying practical significance from both market and resource perspectives.
Through in-depth research by development teams, Jiangbolong found significant improvements in core performance aspects such as bandwidth, read speed, and overall reliability of QLC flash. In the SSD field, QLC is catching up with TLC, with some performance indicators showing no significant difference.
Addressing the characteristics of QLC, Jiangbolong studied firmware algorithms, particularly the LDPC error correction mechanism, which is approaching theoretical limits. Furthermore, Jiangbolong's proprietary eMMC controller WM6000, set high standards from the outset, and when paired with QLC, can deliver optimal performance.
Therefore, the release of QLC eMMC products holds significant significance for the development of embedded storage products, reflecting a breakthrough in storage technology.
Additionally, Jiangbolong has QLC SSD product plans for both consumer and data center sectors, currently in the research and development phase. Consumer-grade QLC SSD products under the Lexar brand have already been launched, including SATA and PCIe 3.0/4.0 products covering the full performance spectrum.
Jiangborong's latest debut product is the FORESEE LPCAMM2 memory, which supports LPDDR5 and LPDDR5x, with single capacities of up to 16/32/64GB.
It boasts significantly higher integration than traditional SO-DIMM memory, reducing volume by nearly 60%, increasing energy efficiency by nearly 70%, and reducing power consumption by nearly 50%.
It also features a higher 128-bit width, with speeds reaching up to 9600Mbps, far surpassing DDR5 SO-DIMM's 6400Mbps. Compared to onboard integrated LPDDR series, its modular form not only allows for scalability but also offers higher maintainability.
Zhang Weimin, Senior Director of Engineering at Jiangborong's DIMM division, provided an in-depth analysis of the numerous significant advantages brought by LPCAMM2's high integration:
At the summit, Jiangbo Long unveiled their pioneering FORESEE CXL 2.0 memory expansion module, which boasts a proprietary architecture design. This module is tailored to meet the demanding requirements of AI-intensive workloads, offering low-latency, high-bandwidth storage solutions. It significantly reduces memory costs while enhancing utilization.
The form factor of this module is EDSFF E3.S, powered by DDR5 chips, with available capacities ranging from 64GB and 128GB to 192GB, and a larger 512GB variant currently under development.
Utilizing the latest PCIe 5.0 x8 transmission interface, it achieves a theoretical bandwidth of up to 32GB/s. Seamlessly compatible with backplanes and server boards supporting the CXL specification and E3.S interface, it ensures smooth integration.
Another form factor is the AIC expansion card, which can have a larger capacity. The DDR4 version showcased on-site already reaches 512GB. By inserting 8 cards into a chassis, it can reach 4TB, making it ideal for creating storage pools.
It utilizes the MCIO interface (with future plans for PCIe interface), with a system channel of PCIe 5.0 x16, providing a bandwidth of up to 128GB/s.
According to Li Xiang, Vice General Manager of the Enterprise Storage Division at Jiangborong, the CXL 2.0 versions with capacities of 64GB/128GB/192GB are expected to be announced in the first quarter of this year and hit the market in the second quarter. The 512GB version is anticipated to be released and launched in the second quarter as well.
Lexar, born in 1996 and acquired by Jiangbo Long in 2017, has always been a benchmark in the field of image storage. This time, it has highlighted the release of several high-end storage card products.
At the end of last year, Lexar successfully launched a 512GB capacity NM Card storage card. This time, it has once again taken the lead in introducing a 1TB ultra-large capacity version, which is compatible with various models of HarmonyOS smartphones and tablets.
It features the in-house developed controller WM6000, compatible with the eMMC protocol, and utilizes advanced packaging technology from Yang Cheng Suzhou Ultra-Thin Flash Stack, achieving a read speed of up to 90MB/s.
The NM Card is a new generation standard storage format proposed by China, reducing the area by 34% compared to mainstream storage cards on the market, similar in size to the compact Nano SIM card.
This standard is being promoted by the TIMA Smart Terminal Storage Association, initiated by companies such as Huawei and Rekooxa. Rekooxa is the first brand to obtain ITMA certification and release NM Card storage cards.
According to Wang Dongyang, Product Director of Rekooxa's Business Unit, currently, NM Card applications are mainly focused on Huawei and Honor smartphones, especially flagship models. With the release of 512GB/1TB high-capacity versions, more smartphone terminal brands are becoming increasingly interested. Rekooxa is assisting in related technological research.
In the future, Rekooxa will collaborate with the ITMA Association and industry partners to carry out technological iterations, plan performance improvements, and actively explore applications in areas such as automotive storage and AI storage. It is believed that the market space will further expand.
This is a 2TB high-capacity microSD UHS-I memory card (Blue Card), equipped with the WM5000 self-developed controller and firmware algorithm, while also employing advanced 12-Die stacking technology, along with ultra-thin grinding and cutting processes.
It overcomes packaging technology bottlenecks, achieving higher integration and greater capacity while strictly adhering to size standards.
This is a SD 3.0 UHS-I Silver Card with a maximum capacity of 1TB, featuring WM5000 self-developed controller and firmware algorithms. It adopts an innovative 4Plane direct writing architecture, achieving dual-speed boost for SDIO and NAND-IO, which excellently supports shooting of 4K ultra-high-definition videos. With a read speed of up to 205MB/s and a write speed of 150MB/s, both surpassing industry peaks, it delivers outstanding read/write performance.
"Fast writing is truly fast." The Lexar SD 3.0 Silver Card ensures a super-fast experience for image users, promising "fast usage continuously," "still fast after long-term use," and "still fast after long periods of disuse."
Also launching concurrently is the free Lexar data recovery tool, providing peace of mind for image users during their creative endeavors.
By the way, although the industry unanimously agrees that SSDs will continue to dominantly utilize PCIe 4.0 in the next two years, Lexar is expected to officially release its first PCIe 5.0 SSD, the NM1090, in the second quarter. This also marks the debut of Lexar's NM series with a four-digit model number.
Featuring the Phison E26 controller and Micron's 232-layer TLC flash memory, it comes in capacities of 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. It supports SLC dynamic cache and boasts sequential read and write speeds of up to 12GB/s and 10GB/s respectively. Additionally, it comes equipped with active fan cooling and ARGB lighting effects.
At CFMS 2024, numerous storage vendors showcased their latest technological achievements. Jiangbolong, a leading enterprise with 25 years of deep cultivation in the storage industry, also unveiled several new products, showcasing its technological prowess. This demonstrates its confidence in transitioning into a semiconductor storage brand enterprise. Expectations are high for the FORESEE and Lexar brands to bring users more performance and cost advantages in different fields.
