Industrial memory product launched in Scandinavia

After more than 25 years as Datakey Electronics’ exclusive UK and Ireland distributor of portable non-volatile memory, Nexus is launching its product range in the Scandinavian markets and will be active from September 2012. The strategic decision to enter Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland is a result of the company’s success in the British design engineering sector.

The RUGGEDrive - now available in Scandinavia

In industrial, military, medical, telecommunications and secure commercial applications, memory has to continue working even after it has been sterilised, dropped in mud, exposed to chemicals, washed or even run over by a truck. The best option for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) is to embed professional memory solutions such as the ones distributed by Nexus .

Unlike consumer style memory solutions, the memory products manufactured by Datakey Electronics are well established and will not become obsolete as technology progresses. They are commonly used by design engineers working on long term projects, with millions of units currently in service in Europe and tens of millions globally.


Nexus’ range of specialist memory keys and tokens are used in applications ranging from data logging, cashless vending, security, access control and use-limiting in industries including medical, food and pharmaceuticals.

One of the flagship products in the range is the high capacity RUGGEDrive™ token and receptacle set, which allows system designers to incorporate large memory devices into their projects. RUGGEDrive memory products are easily integrated into embedded controllers, single board computers and industrial PC designs, without the shortcomings that consumer-focused solutions bring.

“Our decision to launch into Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland was prompted by a wave of inquiries coming from those regions, explained Victoria James, Marketing and PR director at Nexus.

“Recently we have witnessed an increased demand for robust, reliable and reprogrammable memory products for engineering projects coming from Scandinavian countries. Launching in this area will allow us to offer a more efficient service to our customers,” she concluded. 

Southern Manufacturing sees data expert introduce specialised memory for single board computers

~ Nexus GB targets SBCs with UFX memory system ~

Nexus GB will be showcasing its new UFX memory system, designed specifically for single board computers (SBCs), at Southern Manufacturing 2012, between February 16 and 17 at FIVE in Farnborough. The Sussex-based distributor of specialist memory storage devices, keys, tokens and receptacles will be showing its rugged, secure alternative to USBs that can interface with micro-processor computers. Nexus GB is the exclusive distributor of US manufacturer Datakey Electronics in the UK & Ireland.

Specialised memory for single board computers

Historically, Nexus’ memory tokens couldn’t be used with SBCs, because the microprocessor based systems lacked the required I2C or SPI serial interfaces, which are found in micro-controller devices. SBCs have PC style ports and, as such, are designed to accept conventional USB connections. The new UFX token is likely to find uses in applications ranging from ruggedised and fanless computers to embedded computers such as the PC/104 form factor.

The UFX token, which is part of Nexus’ RUGGEDrive™ range, connects with an SBC by using specially designed electrical modules, compatible with USB ports. These come in the form of a series of receptacles, suited for different SBCs. In order to interface with the UFX drive, the receptacle has a header connector at one end and a USB connecter at the other.

The UFX memory token is a logical choice for applications that can only accept USB flash drives and use higher-level operating systems like Linux or Windows XP. The token also caters for application software and updates, which are often much larger than micro-controller firmware can handle.

“This ability to interface with SBCs expands the RUGGEDrive™ line’s potential enormously,” remarked Victoria James, Nexus GB’s marketing and PR director. “However, I think it is helpful to understand the difference between a microprocessor and a microcontroller, as even in the electronics industry these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. A microcontroller can be defined as a micro computer on an integrated circuit containing a processing core, memory and programmable I/O. It's normally incorporated into a PCB design that will be used for a specific embedded application.

“In Contrast, a microprocessor is a micro computer on an integrated circuit containing a processing core, where memory and peripherals are typically external to the IC. Microprocessor-based computers are often general purpose in nature, able to run various applications by simply adding different software.” concluded James.

USB alternative set to help bungling data owners

~ New technology acts as deterrent for data theft and loss ~

Since portable memory became so common there have been several heavily publicised incidents in which Government departments or private businesses lost confidential information stored on CDs and USB sticks. Now, a new product from Sussex based technology specialist Nexus GB could put an end to the problem. The innovative new data carrier system means no one other than the intended user can read the content.  

Earlier this year a memory stick holding the passwords for a Government computer system was lost by a member of staff and found in the car park of a pub in Staffordshire. In May 2009 the personal medical records of tens of thousands of people were lost by the NHS in a series of serious data security leaks.

These kinds of problems can now be avoided by using Nexus’ new portable memory system; the RUGGEDrive™. The unique physical connection between the memory receptacle and portable memory token ensures that the information stored cannot be readily transferred to unauthorised PCs because they would lack RUGGEDrive™ receptacles.

The receptacles can be added to computers when they are being manufactured or they can be retrofitted at a later date. Nexus GB believes that this system could be the answer in multiple business sectors where data loss is a risk. Furthermore, because the system is only available as a B2B sale directly from Nexus GB, it isn’t possible to obtain compatible tokens or receptacles without the permission of the original customer.

“RUGGEDrive™ is a real step forward in data security,” explained Victoria Barrett, Nexus GB’s marketing and PR director. “Any data lost in a pub or left on a bus would be impossible to access and totally protected! This is even more important in today’s social media and citizen journalism landscape, in which lost data will definitely make its way into the media or onto the black market.”

Furthermore, RUGGEDrive™ receptacles help protect the user from viruses and other malicious files such as malware and Trojans. For instance, if a member of staff takes a document home using a USB or CD, the file can become infected on their private PC. When they return to work and plug the USB back into their work laptop, the virus is transferred into the company’s network. This situation is impossible to replicate with RUGGEDrive™.

A further benefit of these rugged, portable memory devices is their reliability; the receptacles are rated for 50,000 usage cycles. This is a distinct advantage over most consumer-grade USB and SD connectors which are only rated for 1,500 and 10,000 cycles respectively.