Firstchip+yc2019+new ❲Cross-Platform EXTENDED❳

The original YC2019 was a USB 2.0 controller supporting up to 4 NAND flash dies, with read speeds ~25 MB/s and write speeds ~8–12 MB/s. The new YC2019 retains the same footprint but introduces:

This paper presents FIRSTCHIP+YC2019, a new ultra-low-power neural processing unit (NPU) designed for always-on edge AI applications. Leveraging a novel dataflow architecture and aggressive voltage scaling, FIRSTCHIP achieves 10× higher energy efficiency compared to existing MCU-based solutions. We detail the architecture, implementation in 28nm CMOS, and performance measured on keyword spotting and image classification tasks. The chip was taped out in Q3 2019 as part of a Y Combinator–backed startup. firstchip+yc2019+new

In the world of USB flash drives, SD cards, and budget solid-state storage, few names are as ubiquitous—yet invisible—as FirstChip. While enthusiasts chase Samsung or Phison controllers, FirstChip dominates the value segment. The YC2019 has long been their baseline mass-production controller, but the “New” YC2019 revision introduces subtle but critical changes that impact performance, stability, and manufacturing. The original YC2019 was a USB 2