A single stray write from a glitching host or an interrupted firmware update can brick an embedded device in the field. This PG eMMC 5.1 adds hardware secure write protection so that boot images, calibration tables, licence keys and configuration blocks stay locked against accidental or malicious modification, even when the application processor misbehaves. Offered in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB densities in the standard BGA153 package, it hardens a design without adding a separate security chip.

• Permanent write protect - a one-time command locks a region of the device for its entire life, securing immutable firmware and factory data.
• Temporary power-on write protect - protects a region until the next power cycle, ideal for configuration blocks that must survive OTA updates but stay read-only at runtime.
• RPMB (Replay Protected Memory Block) - authenticated, anti-rollback counters for DRM keys, secure boot state and payment credentials.
• Secure erase - sanitises the whole device for decommissioned, returned or RMA units.

Because the protection is enforced inside the memory controller, it cannot be bypassed by a software exploit running on the host. The device remains a standard JEDEC eMMC 5.1 part at HS400, so designers add protection without changing the board layout or rewriting the driver stack.

Secure write protection matters wherever an unplanned write means a field failure or a security incident: payment terminals with signed firmware, industrial controllers holding machine calibration, medical monitors with regulated software, automotive head units with signed boot chains, smart meters with tariff tables, and network gateways with recovery images. In every case the protected region stays intact while the rest of the device behaves as normal read-write storage.

• Locks boot and configuration regions at the hardware level
• Permanent and reversible protection modes in one part
• RPMB for authenticated, anti-rollback secure storage
• Protection enforced in the controller, not in host software
• Standard eMMC 5.1 HS400 part, no board or driver redesign
• Available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB in the same BGA153 footprint

PG is a Shenzhen based flash memory supplier with CE, RoHS, ISO9001, AEC-Q100 and IATF16949 certified lines. Samples and customization of the protected region map are available on request.