AUTOMOTIVES
Security and quality assurance in SSDs for software-defined vehicles
How do you choose the right memory (SSDs) for automotive use cases? In the past, component selection for automotive has focused on quality screening and temperature rating.
By Lancelot Hu, director, automotive & embedded solutions line of Business, Silicon Motion
W
hile this remains true as far as general semiconductors are concerned, the situation regarding embedded storage is changing. Today’s electrified and connected vehicles are often described as being like a mobile phone on wheels. Just like today’s phones, these vehicles – being continuously connected as well as software-defined - are indeed handling sensitive information that should not fall into the wrong hands. This includes information private to the user, such as call logs or location and journey information, or more critical information such as financial details or passwords. Without proper security, the car could become the weak point in the owner’s digital perimeter. Also, OEM application code requires protection against theft of intellectual property and hacking safety-critical vehicle functions.
To find out what makes an automotive memory today, we take a close look at Silicon Motion’s FerriSSD NVMe PCIe Gen 4 x4 BGA SSD ICs, including security features, packaging and screening.
Data integrity and security As far as underlying computing capabilities are concerned, the SSDs comply with PCI Express 4.0/ NVMe 1.4 / NVMe-MI Appendix A specifications and have robust data-integrity features including a performance-optimised LDPC engine that provides error correction capabilities. There is also end-to-end data path protection, SRAM ECC error handling and prevention on major memory buffers and a RAID engine that provides multi-page
24 JUNE 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS
protection for NAND flash data. In memory chips generally, data errors are known to increase as the temperature increases or PE becomes higher. To ensure data integrity, the SSDs incorporate SMI’s IntelligentSeries technology, which scans blocks every certain period as the temperature rises above 85°C and as the PE count increases.
The choice of data protection technology in SSDs has a strong influence on the drive’s reliability and performance. To overcome NAND retention or disturbance issues, SMI’s FerriSSDs minimise read disturbances by triggering online/offline scan read count. In addition, they use the offline scan power-on time to prevent read retention. These symptoms will cause excessively high NAND error bits to be too high, which SMI counteracts by using Intelligent Scan to protect the NAND flash. Also, the SSD uses a performance-optimised LDPC engine and RAID engine to provide maximum error- correction capability.
Supporting software-defined vehicles with FerriSSD
As automotive technology advances, Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) are becoming the industry standard. These cutting-edge vehicles, which depend on sophisticated software to manage crucial operations, require storage solutions that can handle large volumes of data with speed and reliability. Enter Silicon Motion’s FerriSSD—a key player in this technological shift.
FerriSSD stands out for its ability to
support the centralised computing frameworks integral to SDVs. By delivering high performance and durability, FerriSSD ensures that the massive data demands of these vehicles are met efficiently, enabling seamless operation and driving the evolution of modern automotive systems. It is specifically designed to meet the high reliability and performance requirements of automotive systems. It ensures seamless operation by providing:
High performance: With fast data read/ write speeds, FerriSSD guarantees quick access to essential information, supporting the swift execution of various vehicle functions.
Reliability: Built to endure the harsh conditions typical of automotive environments, FerriSSD delivers consistent performance and longevity, critical for maintaining the vehicle’s functionality. Compact form factor: Its small size facilitates easy integration into the constrained spaces within vehicle systems, making it an ideal choice for modern automotive designs.
Enhanced capabilities for next-gen vehicles
By incorporating FerriSSD, SDVs can leverage advanced features such as real-time diagnostics, over-the-air updates and enhanced infotainment systems. These capabilities align with the automotive industry’s shift towards more intelligent, connected vehicles.
FerriSSD not only enhances the vehicle’s data management efficiency but also
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