Analysts at SEMI have confirmed a favorable outlook for DRAM as bit demand rises, bolstering selling prices in 2013 and 2014. “The DRAM sector experienced a sharp decline during the 2008/2009 financial crisis and subsequently contracted, both in the number of suppliers and in installed fab production capacity,” SEMI researchers explained in a recent press release.
Memory PHYs
The evolution of LPDDR4
Ajay Jain, a director of product marketing at Rambus, recently told Semiconductor Engineering that LPDDR3 was the “workhorse” of the mobile memory market in 2014. According to Jain, LPDDR3 will retain its heavyweight status throughout most of 2015 before it is supplanted by next-gen LPDDR4.
On-chip Noise Monitor accelerates time-to-market for complex SOCs
Rambus has added an On-chip Noise Monitor to its suite of tools and IP cores. According to Loren Shalinsky, a Strategic Development Director at Rambus, the Noise Monitor is designed to accurately characterize power supply noise of low- power, high-performance complex IPs and electronic systems.
Xiaomi’s Mi Note Pro is loaded with 4GB of RAM
Announced earlier this month at CES 2015, the Asus Zenfone 2 features a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 processor and supports up to 4GB LPDDR3 DRAM. As we previously confirmed on Rambus Press, the Zenfone 2 was the very first smartphone to carry a full payload of 4GB of RAM. Unsurprisingly, a number of manufacturers are eyeing 4GB of RAM for their next-gen smartphones and phablets.
Rambus to take center stage at DesignCon 2015
DesignCon 2015 kicks off January 27th in Santa Clara, California, where Rambus will be showcasing a wide range of R+ enhanced standard memory and serial IP core solutions. So be sure to stop by booth #835, where you can learn about multi-modal functionality, low-power signaling modes, per-bit FlexPhase timing adjustment capabilities, enhanced in-PHY testability and wider integration with LabStation™ Validation Platform.
Asus ZenFone 2 packs 4GB of RAM
Unveiled earlier this week at CES 2015, the flagship Asus ZenFone 2 features a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 processor and supports up to 4GB LPDDR3 DRAM. Additional key ZenFone 2 specs include an Intel LTE-Advanced modem, 5.5-inch full HD IPS+ screen, 13MP PixelMaster rear camera, 5MP front camera and a 3000mAh battery.