Feeding the beast In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems have a huge appetite for data storage capacity with mapping and navigation, music and entertainment occupying a growing memory footprint in cars.
Up until recently, the car makerâs choice of high-capacity data storage technology was the familiar Hard Disk Drive (HDD), but reliability and lifetime concerns have seen it fall out of favour to be replaced in modern designs by the solid-state drive (SSD) or embedded Multimedia Card (eMMC).
Certainly the solid-state solution for data storage is inherently better suited to the requirements of car makers, with their strict processes and qualification criteria for components and modules. Unlike an HDD, an SSD or eMMC contains no moving parts so it cannot suffer mechanical failure and is not vulnerable to damage from shock or vibration.