The personal vehicle industry has witnessed one of the greatest transformations of advanced technology functions and features in recent years. On-board, mechanical and diagnostic systems require a strong computing system for integrating, storing and processing all the data being utilized. On-board systems in gasoline and hybrid technology vehicles are still submitted to the same exposures as vehicles in the past – exposure to oil and other chemicals, temperature changes, rain and snow. Sophisticated on-board systems must reliably process data while enduring these challenges. As electronic vehicles become more popular and ubiquitous, on-board electronics and computing systems will play even a greater role in vehicle operation. While automakers strive to reduce power consumption at the same time. Along with this trend, memory will have to adapt to these manufacturing advances.

Challenges and Requirements

• Today’s automobiles employ complex on-board computing and entertainment features. In the comfort of the cabin, drivers may not realize the temperature extremes and other factors their autos endure. With that in mind, on-board system memory must be able to withstand temperature volatility, humidity and dust that won’t compromise the efficiency of an automobile computer systems.

• With the EV generation looming on the horizon, vehicles will be ever more reliant on electronic charging. While charging station proximity will increase in the future, currently there is a risk of operation interruption due to power loss. Until that happens, it’s imperative for electronic vehicles to employ a solid solution that ensures data won't be corrupted or lost.

• On-board vehicle computing systems are often exposed to shock or vibration while on the road. The answer is solid hardware and firmware integration, which includes memory, ensuring vehicle operation won’t be affected.

SMART Modular Solutions

• SMART Modular's DuraMemory DRAM offer VLP UDIMM, VLP/ULP ECC UDIMM, ECC Mini-UDIMM, ECC VLP/ULP Mini-UDIMM and MIP for compact system and edge computing application often used in automotive applications. These memory modules support ECC error detection and correction as well as extra power and ground pins for higher reliability and data integrity in widely varying operating temperatures. Additional features include burn-in, 30μin gold-coated contacts, underfill, conformal coating, anti-sulfur resistors providing reliable computing ability.

• SMART Modular's DuraFlash 3D NAND SSDs, including 2.5" SATA, M.2 SATA, mSATA, SATA Slim, M.2 and U.2 PCIe NVMe are optimized for performance consistency in continuous duty cycles and workloads. Data integrity, burn-in, industrial temperature and optimized firmware are additional features. Specifically, SMART Modular‘s DuraFlash M.2 SATA are designed for automotive applications requiring reliable internal storage and sustained read/write performance for space-constrained operations. All SSDs in SMART Modular’s ME series are equipped with thermal sensors to effectively avoid system overheating. Optional SafeData™ power loss data protection provides next level in data integrity and reliability.

• SMART Modular’s DuraFlash™ industrial memory cards, including Compact Flash (CF), SD and microSD cards are robust and reliable solutions for solid state storage needs. By incorporating on-board error detection and correction algorithms, and static and dynamic wear-leveling techniques, SMART Modular’s memory card products ensure years of reliable operation and are an ideal fit for automotive computing.