Moneta – A technology using PCM to revolutionize future data storage

When we speak about computer storage, the first thing that comes to your mind must be conventional magnetic storage disks (popularly known as Hard Disk Drives), semiconductor memory used for RAM, flash memory and pen drives. This article is not about current technologies in use, rather it looks on to the future of computer data storage. Lets begin our brief journey into the world of Moneta.

Moneta – A device that looks on to future of Data storage

Moneta – is a device developed by Jacobs School of Engineering, San Diego as a research project. It uses a “phase change” memory solid state devices which helps it to outperform conventional magnetic disks and SSD’s. Moneta will be exhibited in DAC 2011, one of the world’s most attended and coveted technical conferences latest electronic circuits and designs. The device is sure to catch the eyes of storage device manufacturing companies all alike. Companies like Xilinx, Micron Technologies, Beecube might show great interest in this device developed by Jacobs school.

The new technology used by Moneta called PCM – Phase change memory stores data inside the crystal structure of a metal alloy called a metal alloy called chalcogenide.This method has been proven to be more efficient and performing than all current data storage technologies available.

The best feature that differentiates moneta from present technologies in use is that, it has no moving parts. This itself makes possible very quick data access. This means speed of this memory device will be really higher compared to flash memory. Search Engines like Google, Bing makes possible fast data access to their search queries by using flash memories in combination. Moneta if practically well made, will be a great blessing to data mining companies; specially search engines, analytics softwares etc which drills and manage trillions of bytes of data.

A little about PCM Technology:

The technology behind Moneta is simple. I already wrote above its a “Phase changing memory” technology i.e used behind Moneta. How it works? When electrical current passes through a single memory chip goes from crystalline to amorphous state. Another low current signal is passed to know the state of the memory (whether Read/Write). A Moneta is expected to be 2 to 7 times faster than a flash based SSD. It can read data at a rate of 1.1 GBps and write data at a rate of 370 MBps. Another advantages of a Moneta are low levels of latency and it decreases the current rating required.

Constraints of PCM Technology:

As of now we all know PCM is a promising technology for future computer data storage but the technology needs a lot of improvement. Like everything new, PCM technology has to grow out from its naive stage. Present constraint is about building a software that can efficiently make used of PCM technology. According to research scientists at Jacobs school, a new approach has to be taken while building the software because PCM is not at all dependent on the current methodologies used to read/write data from a storage device. A new perspective has to be built first.

More details about Moneta is well written on the Electronics circuits blog. You can read more about Moneta here: Moneta – Computer storage device of future

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