SEOUL – Samsung Electronics is taking its first major step toward reducing its reliance on Arm architecture by introducing a proprietary controller chip developed using open-source technology. This move is expected to significantly reduce licensing costs, enhance design flexibility, and mitigate supply chain risks.
The Shift to RISC-V
According to industry sources on April 4, Samsung will integrate a RISC-V-based controller, designed entirely in-house, into its next-generation consumer Solid State Drive (SSD) lineup, the 'BM9K1' series.
RISC-V is an open-standard Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) based on established Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) principles. Unlike proprietary architectures, RISC-V allows companies to design chips without paying hefty royalties, offering unparalleled freedom in customization.
Why Move Away from Arm?
Historically, Samsung utilized Arm Cortex-R series cores for the majority of its SSD controllers. However, several factors have prompted a shift:
Cost: Substantial royalty payments to Arm for every chip produced.
Rigidity: Arm’s strict licensing policies often limit customers from modifying designs to their specific needs.
Legal Risks: Recent high-profile legal battles, such as the dispute between Arm and Qualcomm over design modifications, have highlighted the risks of over-dependence.
Performance Breakthroughs
While Samsung has experimented with RISC-V in image sensors and prototypes since 2019, the BM9K1 marks the first time the technology has been applied to a mass-market consumer product.
By adding its own proprietary extensions to the open-source foundation, Samsung has achieved significant performance gains. The new controller is specifically tuned for:
NAND Cell Management & Error Correction (ECC).
AI Workloads: Optimizing irregular read/write patterns typical of AI processing.
Performance Comparison (vs. previous generation BM9C1):
Sequential Read Speed: 1.6x faster.
Energy Efficiency: 23% improvement.
Future Outlook: From SSDs to Mobile APs?
Industry experts suggest that the storage and embedded sectors are ideal testing grounds for RISC-V due to their high demand for customization.
"Starting with consumer SSDs, the industry is watching closely to see if Samsung will expand RISC-V application to server-grade SSDs and eventually to its mobile application processors (Exynos)," said an industry insider.
By combining ultra-fine process technology with the flexibility of open-source architecture, Samsung aims to establish a "highly customized" technological ecosystem that is uniquely its own.
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