One-Chip, 32-MB Plug-&-Play Flash Disk Keeps Data Secure

In addition to an unprecedented 32 MB of storage capacity, this new monolithic flash memory disk is also said to break new ground in terms of the data protection and security features it provides to help users prevent their software, proprietary data, and products from being duplicated.
For example, the DiskOnChip Millennium Plus allows users to read and/or write protect as much of the flash disk as desired to keep data and code from being read, modified, or damaged. The disk also has a 6K one-time programmable area that can be written to and permanently locked for controlling licenses and authenticating systems. In addition, these features, along with each disk's on-silicon ID number, can be used by embedded system designers to track individual products.
Based on a 0.16-µm NAND flash process and a configurable 16/8-bit architecture, the flash disk combines on-chip both flash memory and a disk controller, with up to four of the devices cascadable without use of glue logic. The device requires a 3.3V supply, dissipates a maximum of 45 mA when active and 100 µA in standby, and offers 1K of hardware-protected boot memory, full hard disk emulation, and sustained read and write speeds of 2.4 and 1.1 MB/s, respectively. Burst transfers hit speeds of 20 MB/s. Host OS support comes from Windows CE/NT/2000, VxWorks, Linux, QNX, and more. And volume price of the 48-pin TSOP-I packaged disks is $40 each in volume quantities.