PORTABLE MEMORY: MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE™
When an OEM product requires the use of a removable memory device, design engineers have several options to consider. We can classify removable memory products into three main categories:
Standard Consumer Memory Products
These would include removable memory cards that are used in consumer electronic products, like digital cameras, cell phones, MP3 players etc. Some examples of consumer memory products are:
- SD Cards (Secure Digital) including SDHC, SDXC
(also MMC - Obsolete) in standard, mini and micro sizes
- USB Flash Drives (also known as Thumb Drives, Pen Drives, etc.)
- Compact Flash Cards
- SmartMedia Cards (Obsolete)
- xD Cards
- Memory Stick (Obsolete) Other available versions: Pro, Duo, M2 XC
Consumer Memory Products: The Good and the Bad
There are some benefits that consumer memory products bring, but even these benefits can have undesirable consequences when used by an OEM in an embedded system. A perfect example of this type of benefit is widespread availability.
Example:
Suppose an OEM's new product has a requirement for logging data to some form of portable memory card. This data needs to be physically transported to a PC where the data can be pulled off and analyzed. The data is absolutely critical and the environment is on the harsh side. The marketing team suggests using some sort of memory card and Engineering suggests using an SD card. The thought is that if the memory card fails or is lost, the user can simply pick up another one at any nearby electronics store. This seems like an acceptable solution, except there are problems. After deployment, the OEM's support center started getting calls that some of the SD cards their customers were purchasing from their local retailers weren't working. Prior to release, Engineering had tested a few models, but testing all SD cards, from all manufacturers is an impossibility. Later the support calls increased even more, as users were inserting the newer, larger capacity SDHC cards. Engineering learned that these cards, despite having the same physical format, use a different addressing scheme from their SD counterparts. In this example the benefit of widespread availability actually turned out to costly detriment.
Datakey Electronics' portable memory solutions have controlled availability. Our product's unique physical interface insure that non-qualified memory devices don't fit, so OEMs know that they won't be faced with unforeseen support costs and unhappy customers because a customer-purchased memory card doesn't work properly.
"Industrial" Consumer Memory Products
These would include removable memory products that are marketed as being "industrial," "industrial-grade" or "rugged." Most of the "industrial" memory products are simply standard consumer memory cards that use industrial temperature rated electronics. Common examples would include "industrial" Compact Flash and "rugged" SD cards. Because Compact Flash and SD cards are consumer industry-driven formats, there aren't a lot of aspects you can change to make them truly rugged. Their physical dimensions are fixed, their connectors are fixed and even their materials are largely fixed. So it might operate to +85°C, but don't step on it (let alone run it over with a forklift)!
"Rugged" USB flash drives will often claim some additional environmental features (although their temperature ratings are often only 0°C to +70°C). These "rugged" thumb drives may come in more-rugged looking cases and tout shock and water-resistant specs, but these usually only apply when the USB connector is protected and sealed. They typically do not apply when the drive is mated, which in an industrial or harsh environment is when you would need that protection.
Using a consumer-driven standard memory card means using the specific mechanical interface and connectors, and living with their limitations. The USB Type A connector (used on USB thumb drives) is a prime example. In addition to not being rugged, it also suffers from an extremely low mated cycle-life. Most USB Type A connectors have a mated cycle-life of only 1500 cycles (or less). At only 10-insertion and removals per day a USB receptacle on an embedded device could go bad in less than 5-months!
Datakey Electronics manufacturers both the portable memory device and the mating Receptacles as well. Our most popular Receptacle line has a mated cycle-life rating of 50,000 cycles (compared to only 1500 for USB Type A)! We even have Receptacles that have mated cycle-life ratings of 200,000 cycles! Because we manufacture both the data carrier and the receptacle, our environmental specifications (e.g. shock, vibration and immersion ratings) apply for the mated system, not just the memory device on its own. And we offer many systems that come with immersion ratings (IP65 and IP67) while mated or un-mated!
Truly Rugged Memory Products for Embedded Applications
Datakey Electronics' portable memory systems (data carrier plus receptacle) are truly rugged and are solely designed for embedded applications. Our products deliver the benefits that OEMs of embedded devices need including:
Long-term Availability--Many of our products have been available, unchanged for over 15-years, some for over 20-years, and they are still available today.
Rugged and Reliable--Our products are truly rugged. We manufacture both the portable memory device and the mating receptacle. Many of our products are immersion-rated (IP65 & IP67) and have been qualified to MIL-STD-810F environmental specifications. Our high cycle-life Receptacles (50,000 cycles) and Keyceptacles (200,000 cycles) deliver years of reliable operation. Our Keys and Tokens are solid over-molded, made of specially-engineered, rugged composite plastic materials--so strong you can run them over with a truck and they still work! We also test 100% of the product we ship. Our OEM customers know that our products work the first time, every time.
Other Benefits--Because our rugged portable memory systems are not consumer products, we deliver additional benefits over consumer memory formats, including:
Reduced Risk of Theft--Our removable memory products won't fit in someone's digital camera, MP3 Player, cell phone or PC at home, so they have no reason to steal it.
Increased Security-- Although we offer a variety of products with various security features (including encryption and unique serial numbers), all of our products have a built-in, basic level of security thanks to their unique physical interface. Put simply our products won't plug into standard PC connectors.
Source of Revenue for our OEM Customers--When an OEM uses a USB flash drive or SD card, quite often it is electronic retailers who realize the revenue for these sales. Datakey Electronics' OEM customers, on the other hand, can keep this revenue for themselves. Datakey Electronics will not sell to an OEM's end user (unless the OEM specifically requests it).
There are many more reasons why Datakey Electronics' rugged portable memory products are simply the best solution for manufacturers of embedded electronics for applications such as:
- In-Field Firmware Updates
- Access Control/Security
- Machine Access/Rights Management
- Parameter Uploads/Parameter Backup
- Calibration Uploads
- Data Logging/Data Transfer
- Authentication/Anti-Counterfeit
- Usage Monitoring/Usage Limiting
- Feature Enable/Feature Disable
- Cashless Vending
To learn more about these applications and the benefits of using Datakey Electronics' rugged portable memory systems, please contact one of our engineers at the factory or contact your local representative.
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