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Rambus Demonstrates Superior Power Efficiency of World’s Fastest Memory

7.2Gbps XDR™ memory system uses 40% less power than GDDR5 system

LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – 06/23/2009 – Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS), one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in high-speed memory architectures, today showcased a silicon demonstration of a complete XDR™ memory system running at data rates up to 7.2Gbps with superior power efficiency. This silicon demonstration consists of Elpida’s recently-announced 1Gb XDR DRAM device and an XIO memory controller transmitting realistic data patterns. The XIO memory controller is up to 3.5 times more power efficient than a GDDR5 controller, and the total memory system can provide up to two times more bandwidth than GDDR5 at equivalent power. In addition, the XIO memory controller demonstrated bi-modal operation with support for both XDR DRAM as well as next-generation XDR2 DRAM.

“Future graphics and multi-core processors require significantly higher memory performance under extremely challenging power and thermal constraints,” said Martin Scott, senior vice president of Research and Technology Development at Rambus. “This technology demonstration highlights the outstanding power efficiency of the XDR and XDR2 memory architectures at performance levels from 3.2 to 7.2Gbps with scalability to well over 10Gbps.”

This silicon demonstration, shown at Denali MemCon 2009 in San Jose, is the first implementation supporting the XDR memory architecture roadmap incorporating innovations developed as part of Rambus’ Terabyte Bandwidth Initiative. Implemented in the bi-modal XIO memory controller for XDR2 operation, these innovations include:

  • Fully Differential Memory Architecture (FDMA) – enhances signal integrity and increases performance through point-to-point differential signaling of clock, data, and command/address (C/A), an industry first;
  • FlexLink™ C/A – reduces pin count and increases scalability; and
  • Enhanced FlexPhase™ – enables the world’s highest memory signaling rates while simplifying routing and board design.

In addition, the XDR2 memory architecture includes:

  • Micro-threading of the DRAM core – introduced by Rambus in early 2005, increases data transfer efficiency and reduces power consumption; and
  • 16X Data Rate – allows for extremely high data rates with the use of a relatively low-speed system clock.

Built on these innovations, an XDR2 memory system can provide memory bandwidths of over 500GB/s to an SoC. A single 4Byte-wide, 9.6Gbps XDR2 DRAM device can deliver up to 38.4GB/s of peak bandwidth, and the XDR2 architecture supports a roadmap to device bandwidths of over 50GB/s.

With these capabilities, the XDR and XDR2 memory architectures are scalable across a broad range of performance appropriate for multi-core computing, graphics, gaming, and consumer electronics. The XDR memory architecture has already been adopted in products including the Sony PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, DLP® projectors, Teradici PC-over-IP computing systems, and Toshiba’s Qosmio® laptop PCs and HDTV chip sets.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in the invention and design of high-speed memory architectures. Since its founding in 1990, the Company’s patented innovations, breakthrough technologies and renowned integration expertise have helped industry-leading chip and system companies bring superior products to market. Rambus’ technology and products solve customers’ most complex chip and system-level interface challenges enabling unprecedented performance in computing, communications and consumer electronics applications. Rambus licenses both its world-class patent portfolio as well as its family of leadership and industry-standard interface products. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, India, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.

XDR DRAM Surpasses 100 Million Units Shipped

Award-winning memory architecture ideal for high-performance, power-conscious computing and consumer applications

LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – 06/09/2009 – Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS), one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in high-speed chip architectures, today announced that its customers have shipped over 100 million XDR™ DRAM devices worldwide. XDR DRAM is part of a total memory solution developed by Rambus. The award-winning XDR memory architecture achieves an order of magnitude higher performance than today’s standard memories. With the flexibility to provide more bandwidth at better power efficiency per device than competing technologies, XDR memory both reduces overall systems costs and delivers the performance needed for the most advanced electronic products.

“Consumers’ demand for increasingly powerful graphics and computing applications require superior memory bandwidth and power efficiency,” said Sharon Holt, senior vice president of Licensing and Marketing at Rambus. “The XDR memory architecture has proven an ideal solution for a broad range of products needing blazing fast speeds and excellent power efficiency. No other memory technology provides the flexibility the XDR architecture offers to system and chip designers.”

The XDR memory architecture features key enabling technologies built on patented Rambus innovations that include low-voltage, low-power Differential Rambus Signaling Level (DRSL); Octal Data Rate (ODR) technology that transfers eight bits of data each clock cycle; FlexPhase™ circuit technology for precise on-chip alignment of data with clock; and Dynamic-Point-to-Point (DPP) for both enhanced signal integrity and scalability.

Key components enabling the breakthrough performance of the XDR memory architecture are:

  • XDR DRAM is a high-performance memory that turbo-charges standard CMOS DRAM cores with a high-speed interface capable of 7.2Gbps data rates providing up to 28.8GB/s of bandwidth with a single DRAM device.
  • XIO controller IO cell provides the same high-speed signaling capability found on the DRAM, but adds additional enhancements like FlexPhase™ technology that eliminates the need for trace length matching.
  • XMC memory controller is a fully synthesizable logical memory controller that is optimized to take advantage of innovations like Dynamic Point-to-Point which provides for capacity expansion while delivering the signal integrity benefits of point-to-point signaling.
  • XCG clock generator provides the system clocks with four programmable outputs and is guaranteed to meet the clocking requirements for the XIO and XDR DRAM devices.

XDR DRAM is available from world-leading memory suppliers Elpida Memory Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. It has been adopted in high-volume products including the Sony PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, DLP® projectors, Teradici PC-over-IP computing systems, and Toshiba’s Qosmio® laptop PCs and HDTV chip sets. For more information on the XDR memory architecture please visit www.rambus.com/xdr.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in the invention and design of high-speed memory architectures. Since its founding in 1990, the Company’s patented innovations, breakthrough technologies and renowned integration expertise have helped industry-leading chip and system companies bring superior products to market. Rambus’ technology and products solve customers’ most complex chip and system-level interface challenges enabling unprecedented performance in computing, mobile and consumer electronics applications. Rambus licenses both its world-class patent portfolio as well as its family of leadership and industry-standard interface products. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, India, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.

Rambus Implements XDR™ Memory Interface in Ultra Low-Cost Package

Robust differential signaling enables 3.2 Gbps data rate for price-sensitive applications

DESIGNCON, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – 02/03/2009 – Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS), one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies, today announces the implementation of its award-winning XDR™ memory architecture using an ultra low-cost LQFP package. In a paper to be presented at DesignCon, Rambus will discuss the benefits of differential signaling delivering high memory bandwidth in a cost-effective package, ideal for consumer electronics such as set-top boxes and HDTVs.

“Today’s consumer electronics require high bandwidth and low-cost manufacturability,” said Martin Scott, senior vice president of Research and Technology Development at Rambus. “Our team has demonstrated that the superior signal integrity of the XDR memory architecture, which enables the highest data rates of any DRAM technology, also makes possible high-speed operation in very low-cost device packaging.”

To showcase the capability of its XDR memory architecture to operate at multi-gigabit data rates in an ultra low-cost package, Rambus has implemented an XDR memory controller in an LQFP package that can operate reliably at data rates of up to 3.2Gbps. Rambus will demonstrate this achievement at DesignCon (booth #205). The paper titled, Feasibility of Multi-Gigabit Memory Interface in LQFP Packages, will be presented at DesignCon on February 4, 2009 and will be available on www.rambus.com.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in the invention and design of high-speed memory architectures. Since its founding in 1990, the Company’s patented innovations, breakthrough technologies and renowned integration expertise have helped industry-leading chip and system companies bring superior products to market. Rambus’ innovations and solutions enable unprecedented performance in computing, communications, and consumer electronics applications. Rambus licenses both its world-class patent portfolio as well as a range of leadership and industry-standard memory solutions. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, India, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.

Rambus DDR3 Interface Solution Selected by Panasonic

Architecture enables data rates up to 1.6Gbps

LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – 01/06/2009 – Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS), one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies, today announced that Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) has licensed Rambus’ DDR3 memory controller interface solution for system LSI implementation in consumer electronics products. This fully-integrated macro cell architecture provides the physical layer (PHY) interface between the controller logic and DDR3 DRAM devices to achieve data rates up to 1.6Gbps.

“Rambus’ high-performance memory interface solutions are valuable for our portfolio of world-class consumer products,” said Satoru Fujikawa, Director of Strategic Semiconductor Development Center at Panasonic Corporation. “This DDR3 memory interface solution further extends our ability to offer innovative features and higher levels of performance to meet the needs of our customers worldwide.”

To enable a reliable system environment for high-volume production and first-silicon success, the Rambus DDR3 memory architecture incorporates patented Rambus innovations such as FlexPhase™ timing adjustment circuits for precise on-chip data alignment with the clock, calibrated output drivers, and on-die termination.

“Faster bus speeds and higher peak throughput are critical enablers of future application performance,” said Sharon Holt, senior vice president of Licensing and Marketing at Rambus. “The Panasonic team is at the forefront of driving a new generation of digital products and our advanced DDR3 memory architecture achieves improved time-to-market, higher performance, and greater system reliability.”

Rambus interface solutions provide a comprehensive architecture and system design, as well as design models and integration tools. Included in the solution are reference GDSII database, timing models, layout verification netlists, gate-level models, place-and-route outline, and placement guidelines. Package design and system board layout services are also available. For more information about the Rambus DDR3 memory controller interface please visit www.rambus.com/ddr.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in the invention and design of high-speed memory architectures. Since its founding in 1990, the Company’s patented innovations, breakthrough technologies and renowned integration expertise have helped industry-leading chip and system companies bring superior products to market. Rambus’ innovations and solutions enable unprecedented performance in computing, communications and consumer electronics applications. Rambus licenses both its world-class patent portfolio as well as a range of leadership and industry-standard memory solutions. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, India, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.

Rambus to Outline Memory Trends in High-Definition Consumer Devices at ARM Developers’ Conference

LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – 10/07/2008

Who: Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq: RMBS)
Where: ARM Developers’ Conference 2008
Santa Clara Convention Center
5001 Great America Parkway
Santa Clara, CA
Room #203
When: Thursday, October 9, 2008, 9:00 am

 

Join Rambus at the ARM Developers’ Conference 2008 as Director of Marketing, Michael Ching, outlines the memory architecture trends and system bandwidth requirements for designing SoCs for high-definition consumer applications.

During this presentation, Mr. Ching will analyze DTV, Blu-Ray Disc Players and high-definition set-top box chip architectures that combine ARM video decoders, processing CODECs, processors and graphics cores interconnected through an AXI switch fabric. Memory subsystems using XDR™ DRAM, DDR2 and DDR3 DRAMs will be compared for bandwidth efficiency, controller interface pins, component count, and bill of material.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in the invention and design of high-speed memory architectures. Since its founding in 1990, the Company’s patented innovations, breakthrough technologies and renowned integration expertise have helped industry-leading chip and system companies bring superior products to market. Rambus’ innovations and solutions enable unprecedented performance in computing, communications, and consumer electronics applications. Rambus licenses both its world-class patent portfolio as well as a range of leadership and industry-standard memory solutions. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, India, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.

Rambus and the Rambus logo are registered trademarks of Rambus Inc. All other trade names are the service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Qimonda Started Volume Production of Rambus XDR™ DRAM for PlayStation®3 Computer Entertainment System

LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES and MUNICH, GERMANY – 08/26/2008 – Qimonda AG, a leading manufacturer of memory products, and Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS), one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in high-speed memory architectures, today announced that Qimonda has started shipping XDR™ DRAM in volume for the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system.

Qimonda started to ship first samples of the 512Mb XDR DRAM in January 2008. The XDR memory solution extends the Qimonda specialty RAM portfolio to better serve high-performance and high-bandwidth applications for the fast growing global computing and consumer electronics markets.

“We are very proud to have started the volume production of our XDR product for PS3. This is a further milestone reflecting our product diversification strategy and demonstrating our leading position in the specialty memory market,” said Robert Feurle, Vice President Business Unit Specialty DRAM of Qimonda AG. “We are prepared to support all our customers with XDR DRAM in various applications.”

The XDR memory architecture is proven in high-volume, cost-competitive applications. Qimonda’s XDR DRAM, operating at 3.2Gbps, provides 6.4GB/s of peak memory bandwidth with a single, 2-byte wide device. With a roadmap extending to 6.4Gbps, providing 12.8GB/s of bandwidth per device, XDR DRAM provides an order of magnitude higher performance than today’s standard memories. With XDR DRAM, designers can achieve unprecedented performance with the fewest devices.

“Qimonda’s leadership and commitment to the XDR memory architecture expands the supply for this advanced memory solution for consumer and computing applications,” said Sharon Holt, senior vice president of worldwide sales, licensing and marketing at Rambus. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Qimonda on future XDR memory solutions for high-volume applications demanding breakthrough performance.”

Backed by comprehensive engineering support services that range from chip design to system integration, the award-winning XDR memory architecture features key enabling technologies built on patented Rambus innovations that include low-voltage, low-power Differential Rambus Signaling Level (DRSL); Octal Data Rate (ODR) technology that transfers eight bits of data each clock cycle; FlexPhase™ circuit technology for precise on-chip alignment of data with clock; and Dynamic-Point-to-Point (DPP) for both enhanced signal integrity and scalability.

For availability and more information on Qimonda’s XDR DRAM devices, please visit www.qimonda.com/graphics-ram/XDR/index.html. Additional information on the XDR memory architecture is available at www.rambus.com/xdr.

About Qimonda

Qimonda AG (NYSE: QI) is a leading global memory supplier with a broad diversified DRAM product portfolio. The company generated net sales of Euro 3.61 billion in financial year 2007 and had approximately 13,500 employees worldwide. Qimonda has access to four 300mm manufacturing sites on three continents and operates six major R&D facilities. The company provides DRAM products for a wide variety of applications, including in the computing, infrastructure, graphics, mobile and consumer areas, using its power saving technologies and designs. Further information is available at www.qimonda.com.

About Rambus Inc.

Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies specializing in the invention and design of high-speed memory architectures. Since its founding in 1990, the Company’s patented innovations, breakthrough technologies and renowned integration expertise have helped industry-leading chip and system companies bring superior products to market. Rambus’ technology and products solve customers’ most complex chip and system-level interface challenges enabling unprecedented performance in computing, communications and consumer electronics applications. Rambus licenses both its world-class patent portfolio as well as its family of leadership and industry-standard interface products. Headquartered in Los Altos, California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, India, Germany, Japan, and Taiwan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.

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