Nexus GB's range of industrial grade secure memory for OEM engineers with data transfer requirements checklist of issues that OEMs should consider before integrating memory into a new design is listed below. The list is intended to help design engineers avoid the often costly mistakes that can go hand in hand with integrating consumer style memory products, such as USBs and SD, SDHC or XD camera cards and reap the beneifts of using memory products that are fit for purpose in industrial, commercial, military and government applications.
Before integrating a consumer memory device into an embedded system, engineers must be aware of the potential pitfalls that consumer focused products can have. Below are the top ten factors that OEMs must consider:
Top ten considerations for OEMs when integrating portable memory into a product
1. Look for memory that is guaranteed to work in the OEM device - While consumer memory may fit physically, it may not work in the device for countless technical reasons. As a result, the design engineer using consumer memory should pre-qualify those products on the market that do work, such as industrial grade secure memory for OEM engineers with data transfer requirements. This eliminates perhaps the most compelling reason to use consumer memory - widespread availability.
2. Look for longevity in the product life cycle - Consumer memory becomes obsolete when the manufacturer ceases production, which can happen frequently. The right industrial memory product is guaranteed to offer substantially better longevity because industrial manufacturers understand that your product may need continual maintenance over a long period. Nexus GB Ltd provide embedded industrial memory products and solutions for industrial, commercial, military and government applicatiions and have been doing so for over 20 years.
3. Always choose a controlled connector so that only approved products fit – If you design in USBs or camera cards, users can plug in untested, unqualified consumer memory. This isn't the case with a specialist memory key or token.Industrial grade secure memory for OEM engineers with datat transfer requirements, such as Datakey Electronics' range of secure, portable products, provides a full spectrum of secure, rugged keys and tokens with compatible mating receptacles.
4. Choose the right amount of memory – If your application only requires 4MB of memory, there is no need to buy a device that provides 32GB. As with all design engineering projects, over specification can be expensive. Embedded industrial memory products for industrial, commercial, military and government application are available from Nexus GB Ltd with a range of memory sizes from 1Kb to 1GB.
5. Do your products operate in a harsh environment? - Both the memory device and the mating receptacle may need to be immersion rated, produced for a specific temperature, shock rating or ESD (Electro Static Discharge) rating.
6. Triple check the mated cycle life – If your product is used ten times a day, a typical USB connector will only last five months. This may be great for the spare parts business but it will leave your end users pretty unhappy! Always ensure that the usable life cycle of the product matches its predicted usage. Nexus GB provide mating receptacles, keys and tokens that can withstand up to 200,000 cycles which based on a usage rate of 10 times/ day, could last up to 14 years!
7. Check the product support for industrial OEMS - Consumer memory manufacturers focus on consumer OEMs and industrial memory manufacturers on industrial work, so it's vital that you match your own organisation to the manufacturer correctly. Nexus GB Ltd provide embedded industrial memory products and solutions for industrial, commercial, military and government applications.
8. Use form factor to discourage theft - USB drives and SD cards are targets for misuse and theft but a stock design from a specialist portable memory supplier isn't. If there is the possibility of product or data theft in your application, this should be a key consideration.
9. Use form factor to improve data security - By design, most industrial products do not plug into standard PC ports, whilst USBs and memory cards are made for this purpose. It may well be beneficial to your security strategy if lost products can't be accessed without specialist equipment.
10. Watch out for changing standards - USB and SD 'standards' can and do change. Indeed, history shows that these standards are driven by the consumer market and changes can adversely affect embedded OEMs who adopt the products. For instance SDHC cards use a different addressing method to SD cards, meaning embedded devices using SD can't also use its successor, even though they fit in the receptacle.
Summary
Many Datakey Electronics’ products have been available, unchanged for over 15 years, and they are still available today. As a result, OEMs don't need to waste valuable engineering time re-qualifying new memory devices or re-designing their system due to obsolescence. Also, because of our products' unique physical interface, unqualified consumer memory devices cannot be used because they don't physically fit. If you are looking for industrial grade secure memory for OEM engineers with data transfer requirements, then contact Nexus GB Ltd for more information.
To download our Top Ten Reasons information sheet click here