AI at the edge comes with a host of challenges: limited processing resources, small storage capacities, insufficient memory, security concerns, electrical power requirements, limited physical space on edge devices, and excessive costs. That being said, there is an enormous need for AI at the edge – for devices to learn fast and make decisions in real time. Issues such as latency and distance are current drawbacks that hold edge-to-cloud AI back from reaching its full potential. In some cases, cloud data centers can be as far as hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away from edge devices. Reducing the distance and therefore the latency, by bringing AI into the edge device itself, can open up a world of new possibilities. And, compared to edge-to-cloud AI, AI-enabled edge devices don’t need to rely on a stable internet connection, nor do they have as much vulnerability to cyber-security issues, because they don’t send data offsite.

The New MEA3FEV0 SSD Series
Edge AI box computers equipped with compact and high-capacity storage is one of the key factors to make AI come true at the edge. By offloading computation and storage from the cloud to the edge itself, edge computing is enhancing the power and capabilities of the IoT. To help make this a reality, SP Industrial has launched the new MEA3FEV0 SSD Series. This industrial-grade PCIe Gen 3x4 SSD series features support for NVMe 1.3 and BiCS5 112-layer 3D TLC NAND Flash technology. It ticks many boxes that are common problems for edge AI computing: large storage capacities up to 2TB, small M.2 2242 form factor for minimal space usage, lower power consumption compared to BiCS4, and affordable cost with a DRAM-less design.

The MEA3FEV0 SSD Series also packs high-performance and features into its compact size. It reaches sequential read and write speeds up to 2,450MB/s and 1,850MB/s, respectively. With a lifespan of 3K PE Cycles, it delivers sustained performance with a dynamic SLC caching algorithm and optimized performance with support for TRIM commands. To prevent data corruption during extended use, an automatically activated read-only mode prevents the SSD from wearing out. An integrated industrial-grade Active PMU (Power Management Unit) provides higher reliability of power compared to traditional discrete circuits, while complete protection (over-voltage protection, over-current protection, surge protection, and short protection) offers peace of mind.

The SP SMART Toolbox is included with the MEA3FEV0 SSD Series, which is an indispensable resource for edge devices. It allows users to check the status of many variables remotely, including read/write speed tests, diagnostic scanning, degree of wear and tear, and block health detection. By request, it can also include our SMART Embedded and SMART IoT Sphere. SMART Embedded allows for seamless device integration. It is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Ubuntu OS systems, as well as different CPU platforms, including Intel x86 CPU, ARM-based CPU, and Raspberry Pi. SMART IoT Sphere is a cloud service with alarm and maintenance notifications that monitors the health and status of our products inside connected devices. It can perform predictive analysis calculations to prevent or solve down-the-road problems.

Closing Thoughts
It is estimated that by 2025, there will be 50 billion smart connected devices that affect how individual people, communities, and entire industries interact, learn, and operate. These devices will anticipate our needs, respond, and react accordingly – edge AI computing makes that possible. As edge AI computing becomes more mainstream as a better alternative to edge-to-cloud AI, SP Industrial is prepared to help businesses evolve with our new high-capacity, high-performance MEA3FEV0 SSD Series.