Single chip controller for external portable SSDs unveiled

Silicon Motion has launched the SM2320, a single-chip high performance, lower power and cost effective solution for external portable SSDs.

This controller solution has been designed with integrated hardware and firmware as well as high-level security features in order to meet the needs of game console users who require both higher performance levels and low power requirements of laptop users.

Customers include Kingston Technology, which has designed the controller into its XS2000 external portable SSD, as well as other module and NAND flash providers.

The SM2320 features a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, advanced SSD controller architecture and four NAND channels, and is able to deliver sequential read/write speeds of up to 2,100/2,000 MB/s.

By eliminating a USB bridge chip typically required in other more traditional designs, the SM2320 has also lowered the Bill of Material (BOM) cost and power consumption.

The SM2320 includes Silicon Motion’s NANDXtend ECC end-to-end data path protection and supports up to 4TB of capacity using the latest TLC and QLC NAND. Additionally, it supports the highest level of data security by providing AES 256-bit encryption, full compliance with the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) Opal specification and auxiliary Fingerprint Security support.

“The market for high-performance external portable SSDs is expected to grow due to the wide range of applications requiring fast external storage such as gaming consoles and laptops used for data intensive applications like image and video storage and editing,” said Stanley Huang, Senior Director of SSD Storage Marketing at Silicon Motion. “The best external portable SSDs are not just delivering faster performance, but also offering lower power, smaller size and lower cost. By eliminating the bridge chip design, our new portable SSD controller solutions provide a simpler, more cost-effective solution for this growing product segment.“