Silicon Motion Launches New SM3282 Single-chip Controller for USB SSDs

Silicon Motion, the world-leading NANA flash controller and SSD controller supplier, lately launches its new single-chip controller named SM3282 for USB SSDs at Computex 2019. The new SM3282 controller can have a great impact on future portable USB SSDs’ performance, and make it possible to reduce the size of SSD while keeping a low cost of SSD.

SM3282 Peaks 400MB/s in Sequential Read and Write Speeds

Users expect high speed in data access on hard drive and portable storage devices. Compared with previous external SSDs, Silicon Motion new SM3282 single-chip controller can make new generation portable drives offer up to 400MB/s in sequential read and write transfer speeds, and this can’t be achieved by previous SSDs. You can test your hard drive/SSD speed with best free disk benchmark software.

By comparing SSD with HDD, though SSD has a faster data read and write speed than HDD, currently SSDs normally have a higher price and lower capacity than external HDDs. SM3282 chip enables drive makers to produce cost-effective SSDs, and users can use them as great alternatives to external hard disk drives.

SM3282 Chip’s Unique Structure and Advantages

Current external SSDs normally contains a stand-alone SSD, and have to use a USB-to-SATA or USB-to-PCle bridge chip to achieve the interaction between the external portable SSD and the host computer or board. Unlike current SSDs, the newly launched Silicon Motion SM3282 chip combines a USB 3.2 Gen 1 controller, an SSD controller and 3.3V/2.5V/1.8V/1.2V voltage regulators into one single-chip. Single-chip can allow the possible changes of SSD design. It can also reduce the size of the drive, the BOM (Bill of Materials) cost and the final manufacturing cost of external SSDs.

SM3282 supports 2 NAND channels with 4 CE per channel. Along with 96-layer 3D TLC and 3D QLC NAND memory, it can construct up to 2TB storage SSD.

SM3282 Compatibility, Price and Availability

SM3282 single-chip controller supports both USB Type-C and Type-A. It is compatible with (up to) Windows 10 and macOS 10.14, as well as supports Linux Kernel version 2.4 or higher.

As for the price, thanks to its unique design and the integration of everything into a SM 3282 single chip, it should make smaller and cheaper USB portable SSD drives.

Silicon Motion has showcased the new SM3282 USB SSD controller at Computex 2019, and displayed some prototypes of new USB SSDs which are designed with the new SM3282 single-chip controller and Intel, Toshiba, Western Digital, Samsung, Micron NANA flash drives.

It’s said that Silicon Motion will send the SM3282 chip sample to its customers in late June 2019. The commercial drives with SM3282 single-chip controller can be expected to come in a few quarters. When that day is come, users can utilize the new cost-effective portable USB SSDs to store and access data in a faster and more convenient way.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, Silicon Motion’s new SM3282 single-chip controller for USB SSD should deliver a faster read and write transfer speed than current SSDs, make USB SSD drives smaller in size, and have better performance.