High Reliability SSD Storage for Radiation-Intensive Environments

In commercial aerospace and other radiation-intensive environments, storage hardware needs to do more than deliver high read and write speeds. Radiation exposure can introduce bit errors, affect firmware stability and create risks that standard SSDs are not designed to manage.

The Exascend PR4 Series incorporates radiation-tolerant technology, conformal coating and underfill to improve durability in harsh operating environments. It combines ultra-reliable off-the-shelf components with Exascend’s PhoenixCore Technology and Radiation-Tolerant by Process resilience.

Key Exascend PR4 Focus Areas

• Radiation-Tolerant NVMe SSD design
• High-reliability SSD storage for critical systems
• PhoenixCore self-healing firmware architecture
• Radiation-Tolerant by Process resilience
• Conformal coating and underfill protection
• Low power design for constrained-power applications
• PCIe Gen4 NVMe performance for mission data workloads

Radiation-Tolerant Storage Reliability for Constrained-power Applications

PR4 is designed for environments where storage access may be limited after deployment. Its feature set is focused on radiation resilience, firmware recovery, data integrity and controlled power consumption.

PR4 Platform Highlights

The PR4 Series combines radiation-tolerant storage design with PCIe Gen4 NVMe performance for demanding commercial aerospace and critical systems.

Interface
PCIe Gen4 NVMe

NAND
176-Layer TLC

Read Speed
Up to 3500MB/s

Write Speed
Up to 3000MB/s

Neutron Shield 2.0
Includes radiation-induced bit flip correction and LDPC enhanced mode for improved resilience in radiation-intensive environments.

Firmware Protection
Dual-copy firmware protection and self-reboot capability help support continuous operation and recovery after radiation-related errors.

Form Factors and Capacity
Available in M.2, E1.S and U.2, with capacities up to 7.68TB for M.2 and E1.S, and up to 15.36TB for U.2.

Key Technologies Behind Exascend PR4 Radiation-Tolerant SSDs

The Exascend PR4 Series is built around a set of technologies intended to protect storage operation in radiation-intensive environments. These include PhoenixCore Technology, Radiation-tolerant by Process resilience, conformal coating, underfill and low power design for constrained-power applications with limited power budgets.

PhoenixCore Technology

PhoenixCore is Exascend’s self-healing, regenerative firmware architecture. It is designed to rapidly cleanse errors caused by radiation, supporting resilience and continuous system operation.

Radiation-Tolerant by Process

RTBP uses a custom manufacturing process that adds a layer of radiation-tolerant material to protect against alpha, beta, gamma, neutron and heavy ion radiation.

Conformal Coating and Underfill

PR4 incorporates conformal coating and underfill for added durability in radiation-intensive environments, supporting the physical protection of the SSD in demanding applications.

Radiation-Tolerant NVMe Storage for Critical Systems

Exascend’s PR4 Series features radiation-tolerant technology designed to address radiation-related storage risks. This includes radiation-induced bit flip correction, LDPC enhanced mode and dual-copy firmware protection.

The series also includes self-reboot capability, which is intended to reduce downtime and support uninterrupted operation where system access may be difficult after deployment.

PR4 M.2 Radiation-Tolerant NVMe SSD

Compact PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD option for systems requiring radiation-tolerant storage in an M.2 form factor.

PR4 E1.S Radiation-Tolerant NVMe SSD

E1.S form factor option within the PR4 Series for systems requiring radiation-tolerant PCIe Gen4 NVMe storage.

PR4 U.2 Radiation-Tolerant NVMe SSD

U.2 form factor option within the PR4 Series, available for higher-capacity radiation-tolerant NVMe storage requirements.

Low Power PR4 SSD Design for Constrained-Power Applications

Power availability is a key consideration in constrained-power applications. The PR4 Series uses Exascend’s proprietary technologies to achieve strong energy efficiency, with average power consumption of less than 8.5W during peak performance.

This low power SSD design makes the PR4 Series suitable for constrained-power applications where storage performance and energy efficiency need to be considered together.

Exascend PR4 Performance and Capacity Overview

The PR4 Series uses a PCIe Gen4 NVMe interface and 176-layer TLC 3D NAND flash technology. According to Exascend’s PR4 announcement, the series supports sustained read and write performance of up to 3500MB/s and 3000MB/s respectively.

PR4 is available in M.2, E1.S and U.2 form factors. Exascend lists capacities up to 7.68TB for M.2 and E1.S, and up to 15.36TB for U.2.

Where Exascend PR4 High Reliability SSDs Fit

PR4 is intended for projects where storage is part of the high-reliability architecture and where radiation resilience, firmware stability, data integrity and power consumption need to be reviewed at the design stage.

Radiation-Intensive Environments

PR4 incorporates rad-tolerant technology, RTBP (Rad-Tolerant by Process) resilience, conformal coating and underfill for systems exposed to radiation-intensive operating conditions.

Mission Data Storage

PCIe Gen4 NVMe performance and PR4’s radiation-focused protection features make the series relevant for storage workloads where data integrity is a core requirement.

Constrained-Power Applications

With average power consumption of less than 8.5W during peak performance, PR4 is designed for constrained-power applications where power efficiency is an important requirement.

More Than a Standard Industrial SSD

The PR4 Series is not positioned as a standard SSD. It is designed for applications that require radiation-tolerant storage, firmware-level resilience and enhanced physical durability through conformal coating and underfill.

For systems operating in radiation-intensive environments, these design elements help differentiate PR4 from conventional SSD platforms.

Project Considerations for Exascend PR4 SSD Selection

When selecting a PR4 SSD, key considerations include form factor, capacity, power budget, interface requirements, operating environment and whether the application requires radiation-tolerant storage with PhoenixCore and RTBP resilience.

PhoenixCore
RTBP
Conformal coating
Underfill
Low power

Tekdis Support for Exascend PR4 Radiation-Tolerant SSD Projects

Tekdis supplies Exascend PR4 Series radiation-tolerant NVMe SSDs for commercial aerospace and high-reliability storage applications. Our team can assist with product selection, form factor review, capacity planning and project-based supply coordination.