1991 Starting from the core

When talking about flash memory, we have to mention "memory" - the memory of the memory stick and the memory of the running memory.

It is similar to 8+128G listed by mobile phone manufacturers. The 8 in the front are memory, and the 128 in the back are flash memory.

In computer configuration, 8G and 16G are memory. 256 of the 256G solid state drive is flash memory.

As we all know, memory is much faster than flash memory. This is because it does not need to save data after power is turned off, and it does not need a charge potential well to save electrons structurally. This allows electrons to quickly pass through the gate or drain to complete a charge and discharge process.

The reason why flash memory is slow is that it has an additional process of saving electrons in its structure. Saving electrons allows it to maintain the current data structure even after power is turned off, and then externally senses the transistor state through a comparison amplifier. Outputs the status of 0 and 1.

In the overall structure of flash memory, it is currently divided into NOR flash memory and NAND flash memory.

NOR is extremely fast to read, but extremely slow to erase. In comparison, although the read speed of NAND is not as good as that of NOR, the erase speed is incredibly fast.

Therefore, NOR flash memory is generally used in firmware that needs to be read frequently and efficiently, and does not need to be erased very much.

NAND flash memory is used in situations where data needs to be read and deleted frequently.

The SLC, MLC, and TLC particles referred to in later generations of solid-state drives are nothing more than different architectures of NAND flash memory.

Just before the Spring Festival, the USB standardization organization USBIF, which Su Yuanshan personally ran, has been officially established. The participants on Yuanxin's side are mainly Xie Xiaochun from the CPU team and buddies from Meijie. Since the main members of the organization are in Silicon Valley and west, the organization is mainly promoted by Xinghai, Intel, and Microsoft.

At present, the standard has been formulated in seven or eight parts, and the first version of the standard will be issued in the next few years.

Like all new standards, there is a long process from promulgation to market acceptance. In fact, it was not until the emergence of USB-based flash drives that the USB standard began to spread rapidly.

It was based on this that Su Yuanshan asked Li Mingliu to form a team specializing in NAND flash memory after making initial progress.

Because not only U disks and MP3s, but also solid state drives, and even the external storage of all mobile phones... are all flash memory.

In future generations, it will no longer be the one who wins the memory who wins the world.

But whoever gets flash memory wins the world.

…

Seeing that Li Mingliu was still hesitant, Su Yuanshan said carefully after thinking about it.

"What currently restricts chip technology is the manufacturing process. But theory must come before the manufacturing process. This is an iron law in the semiconductor industry."

"We can't wait until we need an ax to mine and smelt iron. We need to prepare the ax first - even if it's a little blunt, even if it's just a prototype, it's better than improvising."

As he spoke, he glanced at the technical people around him and said slowly: "We at Yuanxin have come so far, didn't we just rely on being one step ahead of others?"

When Li Mingliu heard this, he nodded immediately: "Understood, I will form a flash memory team immediately when I get back. And if I have time, I will also keep an eye on it myself. The principle of flash memory is very simple, and the main difficulty lies in the process. But now it is a theoretical breakthrough. At this stage, the process can be ignored for the time being - we don’t need to build it to make money right away, right?”

"There doesn't seem to be any use for this thing now, right?" Qin Weimin looked at Su Yuanshan.

"According to rumors, it's coming soon." Su Yuanshan said with a smile.

The first CF card using flash memory technology was officially launched this year.

After talking about these three major areas, there are only some technologies left that are relatively unimportant, or that do not need to be urgently promoted.

After all, Yuanxin has its own incubation mechanism.

For example, a long time ago, not long after Linux came out, Yuanxin invested in a team to modify Linux to support YX01 CPU. (See Chapter 96)

This group has not been disbanded yet, and was directly separated from the EDA department later. Since then, it has been supported by Yuanxin, and they have also been responsible for the development of the Chinese operating system of the YX1201 mobile phone.

Now the group has recruited many people who are interested in operating systems and has gradually grown into a team of thirty or forty people.

Team leader Mao Yonggang’s regular slogan is: We want to become Microsoft in Yuanxin!

Su Yuanshan has always been wary of guys who want to be Bill Gates.

Therefore, even if the importance of this team is not inferior to that of the mobile phone department in the future layout, he still dare not release them easily, let alone elevate their status too much.

Moreover, Su Yuanshan arbitrarily interfered with their idea of ​​​​developing into desktop systems, and only allowed them to sneak into the village, while optimizing the enterprise-level application of Linux to make it more suitable for the development environment, and at the same time, he continued to increase the demand for YX architecture CPUs. optimization.

In short, the linux+yx architecture on desktop systems is still heading towards the enterprise ecosystem.

As for the home entertainment ecology... forget it.

——At the same time, he is an enemy of Apple and Microsoft. Now Su Yuanshan really doesn’t have that confidence. You know, the application ecosystem cannot be built in a day or two. As long as he dares to develop a system similar to Apple OS based on Linux or Unix and enter the desktop market, Apple and Microsoft will immediately beat him.

Well... operating systems for handheld smart mobile devices are not included here.

…

Finally, Chen Jing announced the use of scientific research funds last year.

"Last year, pure scientific research expenditures including wages, equipment purchases, test consumption, etc. totaled 870 million yuan. This does not include the establishment of the Shanghai Science and Technology Park and the establishment of the Special Economic Zone Internet Center."

Chen Jing looked at the document and glanced at Su Yuanshan with a half-smile.

Su Yuanshan felt a little embarrassed.

Originally, the budget for pure scientific research funding was only 500 million, but later the superiors bought one and got one free, and a servo motor project was added. Later, a precision instrument cooperation unit was added, plus a temporary chemical laboratory and the team that acquired Lin Benjian. , the establishment of the Silicon Valley R\u0026D Center, and the expansion of various laboratories... resulted in a sudden increase in funding of 370 million.

"According to the established plan, this year's funding should be 1 billion yuan, but now it seems that it is not enough." Chen Jing was overwhelmed when she thought about the application submitted by the lithography machine center years ago: "This year we will still have to spend 1 billion yuan. We are setting up a research and development center in the north."

"Two billion yuan for now, I won't spend money randomly." Su Yuanshan gritted his teeth and said: "I have a hunch that this year alone will waste hundreds of millions of yuan on tape-out."

Chen Jing was startled, and regardless of the fact that they were in a meeting at the moment, she lightly patted the table and glared at him: "Bah! Crow's mouth!"

Then... Qin Weimin, Tian Yaoming, Li Ming, Liu Gao Xiaodi and other people who may be out of production this year immediately helped.

"Yeah……"

"That's right..."

"New Year's Eve...what are you talking about!"

//Actually, I really want to explain clearly the differences between cache, memory, flash memory, NOR flash memory, NAND flash memory, SLC, MLC and TLC... But after thinking about it for a long time, I found that without making videos or drawings, it is The principle of MOS field tube effect cannot be explained clearly.

//Sorry, the title of the previous chapter is wrong. What the hell is NADA? Why is it so easy to fight?