Michael, the connection between Intel and LG is Rambus. Intel needs committed suppliers for Rambus and LG fits the bill. (See below)
Rambus, Intel, Toshiba and LG Semicon Announce System Testing of Direct Rambus DRAM Devices at 1.6 Gigabytes per Second
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., TOKYO and SEOUL, Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)
--June 22, 1998--
Dell, Compaq Confirm Support for Direct Rambus as PC Main
Memory in 1999
Rambus Inc., Intel Corp. [Nasdaq:INTC - news], Toshiba Corp. and LG Semicon Co., Ltd. today announced that Intel has begun system testing of functional Direct Rambus(TM) DRAM devices. The Toshiba 64/72-megabit devices completed functional tests including pipelined read/write operations at speed -- 800 MHz or 1.6 gigabytes per second -- initialization procedures and power management operations. LG Semicon 64/72-megabit Direct RDRAMs(TM) are completing engineering testing at Rambus and LG Semicon.
Also today, Dell Computer Corporation [Nasdaq:DELL - news] and Compaq Computer Corporation [NYSE:CPQ - news] confirmed their intention to ship PCs using Direct Rambus technology for main memory in 1999.
''Rambus has been working with their DRAM licensees to assure that Direct RDRAMs will be widely sourced in a timely manner,'' said Jim Handy, director and principal analyst of Dataquest's Memories Worldwide Service. ''It is key to the PC industry's acceptance of Direct Rambus technology that they have achieved this important milestone on time.''
''It is exciting to see the first Direct RDRAM silicon,'' said Peter MacWilliams, Intel fellow and director of platform architecture for Intel Architecture Labs. ''We expect to see several more vendors delivering Direct RDRAM silicon in the next quarter, and we believe the industry is still on track to ship Direct RDRAM memory technology in PC platforms in 1999.''
This milestone is on track with the technology development program disclosed in December 1996 that Intel platforms will use Direct Rambus memory starting in 1999. In February Rambus completed the Direct RDRAM interface design and distributed it simultaneously to all of the company's DRAM licensees.
''The speed with which Toshiba and LG Semicon were able to produce working first silicon on this device underscores the important role Rambus plays as a central design house,'' said Stephen Cullen, analyst at In-Stat. ''The compatibility of the interface and testing procedures will ensure the PC industry benefits from a broad source of compatible DRAMs.''
Leading PC OEMs Confirm Support
''The Direct Rambus program represents the primary technological thrust for system memory in 1999,'' said Jay Bell, vice president and senior fellow at Dell Computer Corporation. ''We also support the Direct RDRAM because memory compatibility is a critical customer issue that Rambus technology is addressing. The decision to make Direct RDRAMs compatible by design gives us and after-market customers the ability to swap memory modules from different manufacturers without problems.''
''As the leader in delivering the latest technology to consumers, Compaq supports the system-level design approach taken by Intel and Rambus,'' said Mike Rubin, director of Presario Desktop Division, Compaq Computer Corporation. ''It allows us to provide our customers systems with scalable performance and it will save system-design cost and time.''
Designed for high volume applications, Direct RDRAM devices use conventional DRAM cores, silicon fabrication techniques and memory modules. Direct Rambus memory modules, called RIMM(TM) modules, use standard industry assemblies similar to those of today's dual in-line memory modules. For PC main memory, a Direct Rambus memory system will fit within the same physical, power and thermal profiles of a similarly configured 100-MHz synchronous DRAM memory system.
Direct Rambus technology will enable the DRAM industry's highest level of performance to date -- 1.6 gigabytes per second of peak bandwidth from a single device -- and will span multiple generations of DRAM devices (through 1-gigabit densities). A single Direct RDRAM device supports four pipelined transactions to sustain up to 95% effective bandwidth.
Developed in conjunction with Intel Corp. and in cooperation with DRAM and other semiconductor partners, the Direct Rambus interface achieves its unprecedented performance through electrical and architectural extensions to currently available Rambus technology.
In addition to offering the highest-performance of any memory-interface technology, Direct Rambus is the only high-bandwidth memory interface with broad industry support.
Currently, over 50 companies are committed to delivering Direct Rambus technology within their products; including 15 DRAM manufacturers (supplying more than 96% of the worldwide DRAM market); 20 logic IC suppliers, including Intel Corp.; and 25 companies representing the leaders in system-memory implementation products (including memory modules, connectors, clock chips and test systems.)
Smooth Transition on Track
''We're proud of the speed with which we integrated the Direct Rambus interface and our DRAM core,'' said Kouichi Suzuki, vice president of Toshiba Corporation and group executive of the company's Semiconductor Group. ''Based on our process roadmap and up front technology investments, we're confident we can ramp production to meet the industry's needs in 1999.''
''This is yet another example of how we're responding to our PC customers' requirements with leading edge technology,'' said Bob Brown, president and CEO of Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.
Toshiba is one of the first Rambus RDRAM licensees, and the first licensee based in Japan.
''We expect Direct RDRAMs to be the highest volume next generation DRAM technology,'' stated B.J. Koo, president of LG Semicon. ''Our strategy is to align our fab production according to the industry's product ramp. This year we have already shipped over one million concurrent RDRAMs and foresee no issues ramping Direct RDRAM production.''
LG Semicon was the first Korean company to license Rambus technology.
''While Direct Rambus DRAMs are targeted for mainstream system memory applications,'' said Geoff Tate, president and CEO of Rambus Inc., ''they are, in addition, a natural fit for computer multimedia and graphics systems, and single-DRAM consumer products through multiple-gigabyte enterprise computing systems. All of these market segments will benefit from widely sourced Direct RDRAMs which are the result of the design, support and enabling services provided by Rambus.''
Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS - news), based in Mountain View, Calif., develops and licenses high-speed chip-to-chip communications technology that enables semiconductor memory devices to keep pace with faster generations of processors and controllers. Providers of Rambus-based integrated circuits include the world's leading DRAM, ASIC and PC controller manufacturers.
Currently, eight of the world's top 10 semiconductor companies license Rambus technology and seven of the world's top PC makers ship systems using the technology. More information on Rambus Inc. and its high-bandwidth interface technology is available at rambus.com.
Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) is the North American design, manufacturing, marketing and sales arm of Toshiba Corporation, one of the world's largest suppliers of semiconductors, integrated circuits and electronic components.
TAEC offers one of the broadest IC product lines in the industry as well as technologically-advanced electron tubes and solid state devices, including color picture tubes, color display tubes, liquid crystal displays, rechargeable batteries, microwave components, laser diodes and optical transmission devices.
In addition to its comprehensive offering of high quality components, the company markets a wide range of industry standard 2.5-inch hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives and DVD-ROM drives. The company is located at 9775 Toledo Way, Irvine, CA 92618-1811. For more company information, please visit TAEC's Internet home page at: toshiba.com.
Founded in 1989 in Korea, LG Semicon Co., Ltd. has rapidly grown as a leader in memory chip development and supply, and is now, diversifying its product mix with particular emphasis on media processors, high speed DRAMs and thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays.
A $2.4 billion company in Korea's $73 billion LG Group, LG Semicon employs 12,600 employees at 2 domestic manufacturing facilities, 4 research and development laboratories and 30 overseas subsidiaries and branch offices. The company is preparing for the future with Direct RDRAM technology & production, digital TV chipset and multimedia processors such as Mpact and Java processor.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the performance, market acceptance, and date of availability of Direct RDRAM technology and systems incorporating Direct RDRAM technology. Actual results may differ materially. Among the factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are dependence upon the commitment and success of third parties, such as Intel and Rambus' DRAM partners, in developing and marketing systems incorporating Rambus technology; rapid technological change in the markets addressed by Rambus; and the potential development of competing technologies.
Notes to Editors: Rambus, the Rambus logo and RDRAM are registered trademarks of Rambus Inc. Direct Rambus, Direct RDRAM and RIMM are trademarks of Rambus Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
