Embedded file system for data logging
Tuxera Reliance Sense – structured data storage on NOR flash memory
Embedded devices and digital sensors logging real-time or location-based data are the cornerstones of our “all things sensing” future. Increasing dependency on this data brings operational-, financial-, cost-, and potential safety risks. Mitigate the storage challenges associated with data reliability, flash memory wear, hardware costs, and development time in your data-logging applications.
Tuxera Reliance Sense™ is the only purpose-built file system enabling persistent, robust data storage for data-logging applications on embedded IoT sensors, wearables, and digital meter devices. This tiny, but sophisticated embedded software has a unique, database-like design that makes efficient use of NOR flash memory to reliably store structured data.
Intelligent storage for structured data in embedded systems
Data-logging applications continuously generate structured records and always need access to the most recent data. These factors influence how data must be recorded:
when the memory is full, old data is overwritten with more recent data. General-purpose file systems can’t handle such operations efficiently. They do not have native cyclic or ring buffer-type of logic for storing records. Standard file systems instead allocate data dynamically, needing more flash operations to manage the data. This creates overhead and complexity when storing structured data.
Our novel file system software has a database-like design that makes efficient use of the byte-addressable mode of NOR flash memory. The database is controlled and defined by you as the application developer, with an easy and versatile API for record management. Together, these features improve storage operations compared to traditional file systems or ring buffer solutions – maximizing flash lifetime, reducing power consumption, and boosting performance for data-logging use cases.
Why choose Tuxera Reliance Sense file system
Maximize NOR flash lifetime
Reliance Sense is designed with built-in wear leveling. What’s more, it takes advantage of the byte-addressable mode of NOR. Writing or erasing individual bytes versus complete pages reduces write and erase wear. Reliance Sense also comes with a lifetime testing simulator, allowing you to put your storage resilience to the test.
Robust, deterministic, and fail-safe
With Reliance Sense, your device data storage is fail-safe. In the event of unexpected reset or power interruption, the system will always recover and the integrity of the data is predictable. We’ve also included a power fail-safety simulator to validate the integrity of your system before it reaches the field.
Resource and power friendly
We’ve designed Reliance Sense to work with RTOSes and bare metal systems. Tiny RAM/ROM requirements and minimal CPU overhead make it ideal for environments with very little resources available. Plus, a cost-saving “emergency write” function reduces on-board capacitor requirements.
Easy-to-use API
Record management couldn’t be simpler. Our API includes read, write, search, and optimized timestamp-based search. You can also define your own functions or add your own data into the records – a helpful way to enable integrity checks, security, or any other function you require.
Accelerate time to market
A bundle of features to help you get to production faster. Our API makes it quick to configure data records to match your logging application. The included simulation tool simplifies lifetime testing and behaviour modelling. Reliance Sense is also compatible with an extensive list of NOR parts, meaning less vulnerability to supply chain fluctuations.
Award-winning Support
Customer success is a cornerstone of our values. Tuxera’s team of file system experts will support you all the way from evaluation to implementation, going above and beyond to ensure your project performs to expectations and on schedule.
Key technical features
- Circular setup: when the database is full, the oldest entries are overwritten
- Linear setup: when the database is full, the last entries are overwritten
- API for easy record handling: read, write, search, and timestamp-based search
- Hooks for inserting data: integrity checks, checksum, or other requirements
- Cost-saving “emergency write” function reduces on-board capacitor requirements
- Simulation tool for lifetime, fail-safety, and behaviour testing
- Fully MISRA-C compliant
- Advanced wear leveling
- Uses byte-addressable NOR flash mode – improved lifetime and performance
- Compatible with virtually any NOR flash part
- Integrates with RTOS and bare metal systems
- Supports 8-/16-/32-bit microcontrollers and microprocessors
- Requires less than 15 KB of program memory and 1.5 KB of RAM
- Deterministic behaviour and power fail-safety