Articles by subject: tsfs

Why is FAT Slow on SD Card?

This article discusses the performance limitations of the FAT file system with a focus on SD Card. After a brief refresher on FAT fundamentals, we show how FAT predictably achieves high access performances in the absence of fragmentation, but how fragmentation can build up until performances suddenly collapse. We conclude with a few important recommendations about the use of the FAT file system on embedded flash memory.

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What Is a Flash File System?

In this article, we explain how flash file systems achieve native support for raw flash devices. We compare flash file systems to a common alternative, which is the combination of a block device file system (e.g., FAT) with a flash translation layer (FTL), and we make the case that the native approach is a better overall solution.

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Evaluating Embedded File System RAM Usage Under Real-Time Constraints

In this article, we discuss the impact of real-time requirements on embedded file system performances and RAM usage. We show how to calculate the amount of buffering needed to absorb a hypothetical sequence of write accesses of varying duration. We show how RAM usage, write access time and average throughput are interdependent under our real-time assumption.

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Making Sense of Flash File System Performances

In this particular article, we show how the maximum average write throughput on a given flash device varies with the amount of stored data. We provide a simple performance model that can be used for setting realistic performance expectations, comparing file system performances, and questioning application requirements with minimal assumptions regarding the actual workload or file system implementation.

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5 Things to Consider When Choosing an Embedded File System

In this article, we cover five aspects of embedded file systems that you should have in mind when deciding which one to choose, five essentials that you can’t ignore. This is by no means a complete guide to embedded file systems but it covers enough to avoid common mistakes, particularly among application engineers who have little prior experience with embedded file systems.

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NOR vs NAND: So You Think You Know the Music?

In-depth comparison between NOR and NAND covering aspects of NOR and NAND flash technologies that, in our view, are too often ignored including the impact of the application requirements on the choice of Flash technology.

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Road leading to an SD Card shaped sunrise.

Managed vs Unmanaged: The Many Roads to Flash Storage

Let’s explore and compare two different paradigms of flash management commonly used throughout the industry: managed flash and unmanaged flash. Managed flash devices include SD cards, USB flash drives, eMMC and UFS modules — also SSDs, but those are less often seen in embedded systems. These are all NAND-based devices.

Read More »

Taming the Flash Beast

This article is the first of an introduction series about flash memory with a focus on embedded systems designs using an embedded file system. A high-level introduction shall we say. Not the kind that takes you straight to the electron and drags you through the depths of quantum physics. No. The purpose of this series

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Code example of implementing a firmware upgrade procedure using TSFS snapshot and revert features.

Firmware Update Implementation Using TSFS Snapshots

In the previous article of this series on TSFS snapshots, we have shown how snapshots can be used to design a simple yet robust firmware upgrade procedure. This time, we go from design to implementation, delving into the specifics of the TSFS snapshot management interface. More specifically, we show how we can meet our initial

Read More »

Articles by subject: tsfs

Why is FAT Slow on SD Card?

This article discusses the performance limitations of the FAT file system with a focus on SD Card. After a brief refresher on FAT fundamentals, we show how FAT predictably achieves high access performances in the absence of fragmentation, but how fragmentation can build up until performances suddenly collapse. We conclude with a few important recommendations about the use of the FAT file system on embedded flash memory.

Read More »

What Is a Flash File System?

In this article, we explain how flash file systems achieve native support for raw flash devices. We compare flash file systems to a common alternative, which is the combination of a block device file system (e.g., FAT) with a flash translation layer (FTL), and we make the case that the native approach is a better overall solution.

Read More »

Evaluating Embedded File System RAM Usage Under Real-Time Constraints

In this article, we discuss the impact of real-time requirements on embedded file system performances and RAM usage. We show how to calculate the amount of buffering needed to absorb a hypothetical sequence of write accesses of varying duration. We show how RAM usage, write access time and average throughput are interdependent under our real-time assumption.

Read More »

Making Sense of Flash File System Performances

In this particular article, we show how the maximum average write throughput on a given flash device varies with the amount of stored data. We provide a simple performance model that can be used for setting realistic performance expectations, comparing file system performances, and questioning application requirements with minimal assumptions regarding the actual workload or file system implementation.

Read More »

5 Things to Consider When Choosing an Embedded File System

In this article, we cover five aspects of embedded file systems that you should have in mind when deciding which one to choose, five essentials that you can’t ignore. This is by no means a complete guide to embedded file systems but it covers enough to avoid common mistakes, particularly among application engineers who have little prior experience with embedded file systems.

Read More »

NOR vs NAND: So You Think You Know the Music?

In-depth comparison between NOR and NAND covering aspects of NOR and NAND flash technologies that, in our view, are too often ignored including the impact of the application requirements on the choice of Flash technology.

Read More »
Road leading to an SD Card shaped sunrise.

Managed vs Unmanaged: The Many Roads to Flash Storage

Let’s explore and compare two different paradigms of flash management commonly used throughout the industry: managed flash and unmanaged flash. Managed flash devices include SD cards, USB flash drives, eMMC and UFS modules — also SSDs, but those are less often seen in embedded systems. These are all NAND-based devices.

Read More »

Taming the Flash Beast

This article is the first of an introduction series about flash memory with a focus on embedded systems designs using an embedded file system. A high-level introduction shall we say. Not the kind that takes you straight to the electron and drags you through the depths of quantum physics. No. The purpose of this series

Read More »
Code example of implementing a firmware upgrade procedure using TSFS snapshot and revert features.

Firmware Update Implementation Using TSFS Snapshots

In the previous article of this series on TSFS snapshots, we have shown how snapshots can be used to design a simple yet robust firmware upgrade procedure. This time, we go from design to implementation, delving into the specifics of the TSFS snapshot management interface. More specifically, we show how we can meet our initial

Read More »