Rambus has brought out a mobile version of its XDR memory interface which delivers throughput up to 4.3Gbps allowing SOCs capable of 17GBytes per second. It is currently available for licensing.
"Mobile XDR memory provides the ideal solution for designers to offer leading-edge mobile content in a dramatically lower power and cost-effective manner," "Future mobile applications demand far higher performance and longer battery life than today's mobile products can achieve," says Sharon Holt, senior vice president of licensing and marketing at Rambus. "the mobile XDR architecture delivers these benefits in SOC and DRAM devices that can be built with current manufacturing infrastructure reducing both risk and time-to-market."
Mobile XDR provides cost savings for SoC chips by reducing pin-count and providing a smaller interface, claims Rambus. Power reduction is achieved through both a decrease in active power and a fast transition times to power-saving modes.
Mobile XDR uses three techniques developed under the company's memory initiative:
Very Low-Swing Differential Signalling (VLSD): a bi-directional, ground-referenced, differential signalling technology;
FlexClockin architecture which utilises asymmetric partitioning and places critical calibration and timing circuitry in the SoC interface;
Advanced Power State Management which reduces memory system power and provides fast transition times between various low-power and active operating modes.
In addition to these mobile XDR incorporates the company's FlexPhase and Microthreading technologies.
Key components of the architecture include Mobile XDR DRAM, Mobile XDR memory controller PHY (MIO), and the Mobile XDR memory controller (MXC).