As the IT sector continues to seek answers for scaling data processing performance while simultaneously improving efficiency - in terms of performance and density per watt, per system, per rack, and per dollar of CapEx and OpEx - ScaleFlux is answering the call with innovative design choices in its SSD controllers. The SFX 5016 promises to set new standards both for performance and for power efficiency.

In addition to carrying forward the transparent compression feature that ScaleFlux first released in 2020 in upgraded in 2022 with the SFX 3016 computational storage drive controller, the new SFX 5016 SOC processor includes a number of design advances.

• First off is the upgrade from PCIe 4.0 to PCIe 5.0, doubling the host interface speed and bandwidth.
• The design team also bumped up the internal buses, memory controller capability to LPDDR5, and NAND interface to enable the chip to take advantage of the faster host interface.
• Porting the prior generation architecture to the advanced 7 nm process provides for extreme power efficiency - nearly tripling the IOPs/Watt of the prior generation.
• Advanced ECC and NAND management capabilities to support multiple generations of TLC and QLC NAND from several vendors.
• SFX 5016 also includes design choices that ScaleFlux CEO, Hao Zhong, says "will provide significant advantages over other controllers for AI-centric workloads, based on our discussions with strategic customers with extensive AI deployments."

The first internal samples of the SFX 5016 were delivered in late 2023. Bring-up and validation have proceeded rapidly and exceeded expectations. The ScaleFlux team utilized a firmware and silicon co-design process which enabled feature-complete firmware to be available to the silicon bring up team from day one. The chip is already achieving 14 GB/s sequential read, 11 GB/s sequential write, 3.3M random read IOPs, 750k random write IOPs, and stunning low latency. Additionally, the SoC is designed to support up to 256 TB of storage capacity for those needing the highest density storage solutions. The first-pass quality of both the SFX 3016 and SFX 5016 highlight the rapid maturation of the company's pre-Si design and verification process. "Achieving first pass production on a highly complex SOC once may be dismissed as lucky," said Fei Sun, EVP of Engineering. "But twice in a row is a result of teamwork and discipline."

Hao added, "the ability to bring first-pass silicon to production consistently enables ScaleFlux to operate efficiently and expand our portfolio. I am very proud of the team's accomplishments."

Sampling the controller with turnkey firmware has begun for key customers planning to build their own drives via samples of the ScaleFlux CSD 5000 drive design.

The Future with ScaleFlux
As businesses worldwide grapple with the need for sustainable growth, the role of innovative solutions becomes ever more critical. ScaleFlux is not merely responding to the current demand for more sustainable data processing technologies; it is actively shaping the future of the IT industry.