CFx is the next evolution for memory cards
CFx is the next evolution for memory cards
ProGrade Digital has just successfully publicly demonstrated CFexpress 1.0 technology with a 1TB capacity card, with the card hitting performance benchmark speeds exceeding 1,400MB/s and burst write speeds of greater than 1,000MB/s – rates that are nearly three times faster than current CFast memory cards and more than four times faster than the rates achieved by SDXC UHS-II cards.
The CFx Type B format factor uses two PCIe bus lanes for greater throughput and adds the logical device interface capability of NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory express). This allows it to add features like queuing and parallelism, allowing the card to perform much faster.
Here are the main benefits of CFx Type B:
- Can provide up to 1TB storage with current NAND flash memory technology.
- Small physical size – slightly larger than SD and slightly smaller than CFast or CompactFlash (29.6 x 38.5 x 3.8 mm).
- Performance capability capable of >1GB/sec transfer rates, through the use of two PCIe data lanes.
- NVMe protocol support for optimized performance with flash memory in newer computing architectures.
- Backward compatibility to XQD host platforms possible through firmware upgrades.
ProGrade Digital’s CFx card also includes thermal throttling capabilities, so transfer speeds will be automatically be lowered if temperatures go above 70oC for a sustained period, preventing data loss. Here’s two graphs to illustrate the use cases for the new format.