Cisco selects two new DRAM technologies over Rambus for next-generation equipment
By Mark LaPedus
Semiconductor Business News
(10/26/01 10:35 a.m. EST)
SAN JOSE -- The next-generation DRAM business for networking applications is heating up--if not taking shape in the market. Cisco Systems Inc. here disclosed that it plans to use new memory technologies from Fujitsu Ltd., Infineon Technologies AG and Toshiba Corp., but not Rambus Inc.
In its next-generation networking equipment, Cisco plans to use two new and emerging memory technologies--fast cycle random access memory (FCRAM) and reduced latency DRAM (RLDRAM), said Steve Fu, technical leader in Cisco's chief technology office.
Japan's Fujitsu and Toshiba are the main backers and developers of FCRAMs, while Germany's Infineon develops the rival RLDRAM technology, it was noted.
There are no plans to use Rambus Inc.'s high-speed RDRAM technology--for now, Fu said. "Rambus is a very interesting and cost-effective solution," Fu said. "We are not supporting [Rambus]," he said during a keynote address at the Network Processors Conference here earlier this week.
Asked to comment why Cisco would not use Rambus, Fu in an interview after the keynote said, "There are some technical reasons."
Fu declined to elaborate, but also said that Cisco may use Rambus in the future. During the keynote, Fu also caused a stir by saying that network-processor suppliers have fallen short of their promises in the market (see Oct. 24 story ).
In the next-generation memory market, meanwhile, Cisco's decision to go with FCRAMs and RLDRAMs are a major boost for Fujitsu, Infineon, and Toshiba.
Cisco--one of the world's largest consumers of chips--has little or no choice but to move to new memory technologies. In the past, networking-equipment OEMs used SDRAMs, SRAMs and other standard products in their systems.
Now, with the need for higher-bandwidth systems, OEMs require faster memory architectures to boost the overall throughput. In this segment, the market is up for grabs between FCRAMs, RLDRAMs, and Rambus.
Rambus of Mountain View, Calif. is promoting a version of its Direct RDRAM for networking applications. Networking equipment OEMs are also looking to use double-data-rate (DDR) SDRAMs as well.
Analysts, however, believe that Rambus is well positioned in the networking space. Vitesse Semiconductor Corp.'s network-processor line supports RDRAMs. Meanwhile, sources believe that Intel Corp.'s next-generation, network-processor line will have a RDRAM interface. |
