IBM: IBM to offer direct Rambus high-speed interface for custom logic products
NOV 11, 1998, M2 Communications - IBM and Rambus Inc. today announced
IBM has licensed the 800 MHz Direct Rambus ASIC Cell (RAC) for the
company's leading-edge ASIC core library. IBM plans to incorporate the
memory bus interface core into its Blue Logic family of ASIC libraries.
The Direct Rambus design provides a powerful 1.6 GB/s solution to the
growing performance disparities between microprocessors and memory
chips, and represents a significant advancement in architecture and
bandwidth for high speed memory access. In addition to its improved
bandwidth capability, the Direct Rambus interface offers many new
features, such as multiple power-down modes and is an extension of the
Concurrent Rambus interface. IBM has held a Concurrent Rambus interface
license since early 1996 and offers the 533MHz Concurrent Rambus
interface in two ASIC families.
"The Direct Rambus interface is an important emerging industry
standard memory interface," said Allen Carl, program manager for the
Rambus ASIC interface, IBM Microelectronics. "IBM's goal is to be at
the forefront in providing a core-based solution for our ASIC
customers."
IBM plans to make the new Rambus ASIC Cell (RAC) available for
customer design, in its 2.5V, 0.25 micron SA-12E and its 1.8V, 0.18
micron SA-27 ASIC families by the fourth quarter of 1998 and second
quarter of 1999 respectively.
IBM is a leader in custom logic, helping electronics manufacturers
reduce costs and improve time-to-market with their products through the
use of innovative system-on-a-chip designs. IBM's leadership design
tools and methodologies, system expertise and advanced manufacturing
technology have helped propel it from number five to number two in
worldwide sales of ASICs, the most prevalent form of custom logic.
Due to its high-bandwidth, low pin-count interface, fine memory
granularity and easy expansion, Direct Rambus based ASICs can span a
wide range of system applications. Examples range from large memory
systems used in workstations and servers to PC main memory and small
memory systems used in graphics and consumer electronics.
Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ: RMBS), based in Mountain View, California,
develops and licenses high-speed, chip-to-chip communications
technology that enables semiconductor memory devices to keep pace with
the faster generations of processors and controllers. Providers of
Rambus-based integrated circuits include the world's leading DRAM, ASIC
and PC controller manufacturers. More information on Rambus Inc. and
its high-bandwidth interface technology is available at
rambus.com
IBM Microelectronics
IBM Microelectronics develops, manufactures and markets semiconductor
technologies, components and services to IBM product divisions and
merchant market customers worldwide. For more information on IBM
Microelectronics offerings and a broad portfolio of photographs, visit
our website on: chips.ibm.com
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