FMS: 256GB Storage Class Memory Controller Platform in FPGA From Wolley

Wolley Inc. demonstrated its 256GB SCM (Storage Class Memory) controller platform in FPGA at FMS.

In the last 2 years,it developed a patented Table-Less SCM controller architecture. In addition to removing the need of the address indirection table, it removes the need of backup energy cap, and takes care of the difficult synchronization issue by design. Implemented in FPGA, using DRAM to emulate SCM, this SCM controller demo platform has shown a performance comparable to Intel Corp.‘s 3D XPoint Optane.

In 2015, Intel and Micron Technology, Inc. announced the 3D Xpoint technology which bolstered SCM’s feasibility and practicality.

“Storage Class Memory (SCM) holds great promise to be similar to DRAM in speed and interface, while analogous to NAND in density and non-volatility“, says Dr. Bernard Shung, president, Wolley.

To realize its potential, SCM requires different controller architecture from that of NAND for two reasons. First, a firmware-based NAND controller, although more flexible and adaptive for wear leveling algorithms and device management, is too slow for SCM media. Second, a table based NAND controller does not scale, as the table size may increase from ~0.1% to ~6.4% of memory capacity in order to support 64-byte memory access mode for applications such as NVDIMM.

The company is convinced that a Table-Less architecture offers better performance, simpler design, and better cost advantage. The firm’s Table-Less SCM controller platform in FPGA has a PCIe-Gen3 x8 host interface @125MHz, 256GB emulated SCM capacity using two 128GB DRAM DIMMs, with inserted delay in FPGA to compensate for the SCM latency. With 64b memory mode, the FPGA achieved 16.4 million/10.2million random R/W IO/s. With 4KB-byte block mode, it achieved 770,000/700,000 random R/W IO/s. This FPGA platform is able to recover from SPOR events robustly with a recovery time of 1-2 seconds. With ASIC, the performance mentioned above can be improved.

The company is seeking partners to jointly develop and commercialize the Table-Less SCM controller in ASIC with SCM vendors. The firm has a track record of developing ECC and non-volatile device management.

About Wolley
The firm, established in 2016, is a SCM controller ASIC technology company with HQs in San Jose, CA, and R&D team in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It also offers its controller IP licensing and SoC integration services to selected partners. It was founded by Dr. Bernard Shung and Dr. Hsie-Chia Chang. Shung is a veteran technologist and executive in non-volatile memory device management and high speed communication. He served as GM, new business development, Mediatek, SVP, engineering, SK Hynix and Link-a-media Devices. Chang is professor at National Chiao-Tung Univ., Taiwan, specializes in ECC algorithm and signal processing.