USB 3.1 flash drive key for industrial applications

Swissbit introduces industrial grade USB flash drive ‘U-50n’

Bronschhofen, Switzerland. June 27, 2019 – Swissbit announces the introduction of its U-50n (Nano) – a small and robust USB 3.1 flash drive with capacities from 8 to 64GB intended for IoT and industrial applications which need more than just a USB drive.

The new U-50n offers all the features required by demanding applications. The specified operational temperature ranges from -40 to 85°C, metal housing provides mechanical stability, the 30µ” gold connector withstands frequent insertions and the molded COB (Chip On Board) package makes the device shock- and vibration-proof. Manufactured and tested in Swissbit´s own production site in Berlin, Germany, the Nano is a prime example of the company’s advanced packaging capabilities.

Fast and durable

The U-50n features sophisticated page-based firmware which accelerates random write operation while significantly reducing write amplification. The performance for sequential read/write access is 135/65 MB/s while the random operation excels with 2500/700 IOPS. Especially applications with high random write data rates typical for data logging use cases benefit from the for USB flash drives unprecedented endurance level.

While most USB 3.1 consumer drives are optimized for high sequential speed, the U-50n is tuned for industrial usage. Swissbit’s data care management runs in the background and constantly monitors the health of the data, refreshes weak pages, and ensures protection against sudden power losses. The U-50n is based on 15nm MLC NAND flash. Its durability and frozen BOM (Bill Of Material) makes the Nano attractive for long-term usage.

Applications with even higher performance requirements and durability are best served with the pSLC version U-56n that offers close to double the performance specifications and a seven-fold endurance-increase, which surpasses the values of most SLC flash drives available on the market.

Both variations are supported by Swissbit’s Lifetime Monitor which displays highly detailed device status information including flash utilization and WAF.

USB key with optional security features

As a specialist in combining storage and security, the PU-50n DP is Swissbit’s highly protected version of the U-50n. This device has integrated hardware encryption and access protection which by far surpasses the software solutions used by consumer devices. Equal to a credit card, the PU-50n has a retry counter which completely blocks access when a specified number of illegal password attempts has been exceeded. The PU-50n is a GDPR (EU-General Data Protection Regulation) compliant portable storage solution as well as a license and configuration token for industrial automation.

“I´m proud to announce the introduction of our U-50n which is a shining example of our impressive manufacturing capabilities and demonstrates our firmware expertise. And with the PU-50n we have created an exciting combination of reliable storage and security which is the direction Swissbit is heading” says Silvio Muschter, CEO of Swissbit.