Which type of SD-card is recommended for (Edge) recording

Owned by Onno Verkerk
Sept 30, 2020
2 min read

Recommend SD-Card type for (Edge) recording

We recommend to use SLC SD-cards in our products.
This type of card is more reliable than the standard TLC and the better MLC cards.
Also the temperature range is important for this kinds of applications.
SLC cards are available in temperature range of -40 - +85 degrees


Difference between SD-card types (SLC / MLC / TLC)

SLC (Single Level Cell)

The Single Level Cell flash is so called for it's single bit that can either be on or off when charged. This type of flash has the advantage of being the most accurate when reading and writing data, and also has the benefit of lasting the longest data read and write cycles. Program read/write life cycle is expected to be between 90,000 and 100,000. This type of flash has done exceptionally well in the enterprise market because of it's life span, accuracy and overall performance. 

Pros:

  • Has the longest lifespan and charge cycles over any other type of flash.

  • More reliable smaller room for read/write error.

  • Can operate in a broader temperature range.

Cons:

  • Often only available in smaller capacities.

 

MLC (Multi Level Cell)

MLC flash as it's name suggests stores multi bits of data on one cell. The big advantage of this is the lower cost of manufacturing versus manufacturing SLC flash. The lower cost in flash production is generally passed onto you as the consumer, and for that reason is very popular among many brands. MLC flash is preferred for consumer SD-cards for it's lower costs but the data read/write life is less in comparison to SLC at around 10,000 per cell.

Pros:

  • Is more reliable than TLC flash.

Cons:

  • Not as durable and reliable as SLC 

 

TLC (Triple Level Cell)

Storing 3 bits of data per cell, TLC flash is the cheapest form of flash to manufacture. The biggest disadvantage to this type of flash is that it is only suitable for consumer usage, and would not be able to meet the standards for industrial use. Read/write life cycles are considerably shorter at 3,000 to 5,000 cycles per cell.

Pros:

  • Cheapest to manufacture which in turn leads to cheaper to market SD-cards

Cons:

  • Cells will survive considerably less read/write cycles compared to MLC NAND. This means that TLC flash is good for consumer use only.