An Analytical Model of eMMC Key Performance Indicators

Embedded Multi Media Card (eMMC) has become the mainstream embedded storage system for mobile devices like Smartphones and Tablets and it is gaining traction in other products (e.g. Wearables) and segments (e.g. Automotive). eMMC devices are complex embedded systems that include one or more Flash NAND chips and a microcontroller with a specific Firmware (FW). Estimating eMMC key performance indicators (KPIs) since the early stage of the product definition is paramount to identify potential gaps, and give prompt feedbacks to development teams. In this paper a sound theoretical framework for estimating eMMC system metrics is introduced. The mathematical model takes into account the most relevant architectural parameters of NANDs, microcontroller and FW.