NVMeeMMC

NVMeeMMC is a term used in some industry discussions to describe a proposed storage architecture that combines non-volatile memory technologies with the eMMC form factor and interface. The concept aims to provide NVMe-like performance characteristics within embedded and mobile environments that traditionally rely on eMMC flash, without migrating to PCIe-based SSDs.

In architecture, NVMeeMMC would entail either a software/firmware bridge within the host that exposes an NVMe namespace backed by eMMC storage, or a dedicated controller that translates NVMe commands to the MMC/eMMC protocol. It would rely on updated eMMC standards or supplementary features such as command set translation, trim support, and NCQ-like queuing. The host would perceive a single NVMe device while the physical storage remains eMMC.

Benefits include lower latency for random I/O compared to legacy eMMC, better queue depth handling, and potential power and BOM cost savings by reusing established eMMC supply chains. Limitations include the inherent performance gap between NVMe on PCIe and the eMMC interface, vendor fragmentation, and lack of standardized interoperability.

The status: NVMeeMMC is not a formal standard; as of now, it appears mainly in theoretical discussions and some vendor-specific prototypes rather than broad market deployments. It competes with established options such as true NVMe PCIe SSDs and newer mobile storage standards like UFS. Overall, it remains a niche concept at this time.