What is the difference between SLC, MLC, TLC Industrial SSD 3D NAND Technology ?

Industrial SSDs are the best choice for your embedded computer as an upgrade or add-on because of their remarkable performance. They are many times faster than traditional HDDs and produce much less noise. For particular applications, for example, where in-vehicle computers are required, SSDs are an especially good choice due to their high shock resistance and low energy consumption.

Upgrading to an SSD from a traditional HDD, or installing a backup SSD in an embedded computer or ruggedized tablet, can contribute to faster load and access times.

The Three main benefits of Industrial SSDs:

An SSD is composed of three main components:

The controller serves as the main connector between the NAND flash and your computer. NAND flash chips are blocks of non-volatile memory where data is stored. Unlike NAND flash, DRAM is volatile memory that must be powered on to hold data. However, DRAM is not a mandatory component of every SSD. Certain SSDs are sold without DRAM, making them suitable for customers on a tight budget.

NAND Flash Memory is a newer and better storage media than that of traditional HDD.  It is adapted with non-volatile memory which can still save data even when powered off.

NAND flash memory is built up of many cells that contain bits and those bits are either turned on or off through an electric charge. The organization of the cells represents how the data is stored on the SSD. The number of bits in those cells also determines the naming of the flash, for example, Single Level Cell (SLC) flash contains a single bit in each cell.

The circuit board of the SSD has to fulfil the industrial standard, therefore the MLC doubles the number of bits per cell, whereas TLC triples the number of bits per cell. Increasing the number of bits per cell allows for greater storage capacity.

Single-level cell, also called SLC, has the advantage of being the most accurate when reading or writing data. SLC SSDs also have the longest life span over any other type of flash memory.  The read/write life cycle of SLC SSDs is expected to be between 90,000 and 100,000. This type of flash memory has done exceptionally well in the embedded market because of its life span, accuracy and overall performance.

Multiple Level Cell, also called MLC, stores 2 bits of data on one cell. The advantage is to lower the cost of manufacturing. As we all know, the cost of flash memory production is generally passed onto the consumer in the end. Using MLC Flash memory will be preferred for its lower costs, however, the read/write life is about 10 thousand times per cell, which is still suitable for embedded applications.

Triple Level Cell, also called TLC, stores 3 bits of data per cell and it is the cheapest form of flash to manufacture. The biggest disadvantage of TLC up until recently is that it has only suitable for consumer usage and not be able to meet the standards for industrial or embedded applications. The read and write life cycles of TLC SSDs are considerably shorter at 3,000 to 5,000 cycles per cell.

With 2D planar NAND flash approaching physical scaling limitations, 3D NAND flash is the latest technological breakthrough and allows for far greater capacities and better performance. 3D TLC NAND Flash memory has performance that can rival Planar (2D) MLC NAND Flash but at a very competitive price point. 3D NAND Flash is currently offered in both TLC SSDs and MLC SSDs.