UFS stands for "Universal Flash Storage." It is a type of non-volatile memory used in many mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, as well as in some digital cameras and other electronics.
The UFS flash memory specification is supported by consumer electronics companies such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix. UFS is positioned as a replacement for eMMCs and SD cards. The electrical interface for UFS uses the MIPI Alliance’s M-PHY high-speed serial interface targeting 23.32Gps per lane with 2.9GBs per lane, which is the latest version (UFS4.0, released in August 2022). UFS implements a full-duplex serial LVDS interface that scales better to higher bandwidths than the 8-lane parallel and half-duplex interface of eMMCs. Unlike eMMC, UFS is based on the SCSI architectural model and supports SCSI Tagged Command Queuing. The standard is developed by, and available from, the JEDEC Solid State Technology Association.
UFS also supports features such as multiple queues, command reordering, and power gating, which improve performance and power efficiency. It is currently available in several different versions, such as UFS2.0, UFS2.1, UFS3.0, UFS3.1, and UFS 4.0.
Universal Flash Storage works by using a combination of hardware and software to store and retrieve data on non-volatile flash memory chips. Here is a brief overview of how UFS works:
UFS uses a layered architecture, consisting of a UFS host/device controller layer, a transport layer (UniPro), and a physical layer (MIPI M-PHY). The host interface layer is the interface between the host (e.g., a smartphone) and the UFS storage device. UFS is also divided by host and device, with the host handling the data transfer from the application processor to the device as storage IC and the device managing the flash memory chips and other hardware components. A command queue system manages data transfers between the host and the device. This approach allows the device to handle multiple read and write requests simultaneously, improving performance.
UFS uses advanced power management techniques to reduce power consumption. For example, the memory type supports a feature called "power gating," which allows unused components to be turned off to save power.
For security reasons, UFS needs to encrypt/decrypt the payload. The UFS device prohibits writing into its locations when configured as write protected but there are no such restrictions for read. To address this concern, the UFS controller encrypts the data during the write and decrypts the data during the read. Several encryption algorithms are supported: AES-XTS, Bit locker-AES-CBC, AES-ECB, and ESSIV-AES-CBC, with different AES key sizes – 128, 192, and 256 bits. The higher the key size, the higher the security level.
Here are several benefits of using UFS (Universal Flash Storage) as a storage solution in electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices:
Overall, UFS is a versatile technology that can be used in many applications that require high-speed and high-capacity storage, low latency, and low power consumption. Some common use cases for UFS include:
Synopsys offers the industry’s leading silicon-proven UFS Subsystem Design IP and protocol verification solutions. Synopsys IP for UFS Host Controller, UniPro Controller, and M-PHY Gear4 and Gear5 rates support the latest UFS 4.0 specification. These controllers enable high-speed data transfer, low-power consumption, and support for advanced features such as queue management, power management, and virtualization. Synopsys protocol verification solutions including Verification IP, transactors, speed adaptors, and virtual solutions for simulation and emulation developed in collaboration with market makers and used to verify silicon-proven Synopsys IP.
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