In this technical article at LinuxDevices.com, the originator of YAFFS introduces the open source YAFFS flash file system, which he describes as “the only file system, under any operating system, that has been designed specifically for use with NAND flash”. Flash memory chips are commonly used in embedded systems and devices in place of much larger and more fragile hard drives, but they require special… software, called a flash file system. YAFFS is designed to be used with low-cost NAND chips that are soldered onto a circuit board within the device or contained on SmartMedia cards, which are popular for storage memory expansion in PDAs and other mobile devices.

“YAFFS is designed to work within the constraints of, and exploit the features of, NAND flash to maximize performance. YAFFS uses journaling, error correction, and verification techniques tuned to the way NAND typically fails to enhance robustness. The result is a file system that exploits low-cost NAND chips and is both fast and robust. YAFFS is highly portable and runs under Linux, uClinux and Windows CE. YAFFS is an open source project . . .”

“We now have at least six different companies using or experimenting with YAFFS in embedded or handheld systems. YAFFS is already very stable and is rapidly becoming a very useful file system. We expect to see YAFFS-based products shipped before the end of the year . . .”

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