Any Opinions on Intel Optane Product? AMD, TSM Automata?

[Arthur Hanson]

Has anyone worked with this product and has an opinion on its value and versatility? Any opinion on where 3dXpoint is going and if it might be used in an Automata processor? I suspect that AMD and TSM on working on something similar, but different flavors from a few clues out there. Crossbar memory married to a processor with InFo packaging technology? I can't imagine AMD or a partner not doing something in this area and have heard some rumors to that effect. I feel Automata if they can get it work with phase change memory or a variant will be the ultimate game changing generation in processors.

ReRAM Memory | Crossbar

Intel(R) Optane™ Technology

Automata theory - Wikipedia

http://people.cs.uchicago.edu/~aachien/lssg/research/10x10/UAP2015.pdf

 

[U235]

This is a good summary on Optane and ReRAM.

PCM + ReRAM = OUM as XPoint | Ed's Threads

There have been some very spirited and interesting Phase Change Memory debates in the comments sections of EETimes over the years.

 

[Arthur Hanson]

U235, Thanks for the link, it is very informative. I'm sure Automata will continue to yield much debate.

 

[Daniel Payne]

Intel created a marketing name of Optane to describe their first memory products that use the 3D Xpoint technology.

From the Micron web site www.micronautomata.com:

[h=3][/h]

Micron has halted internal development of the Automata Processor program.

Several entities continue to actively push for market adoption of this technology, but these entities are not formally affiliated with the company. You can reach their websites here:
​

• Natural Intelligence Semiconductor, Inc.​
• Center for Automata Processing​

Click here to go to the Automata Documentation.

​

So to answer your question, no, there are no plans to combine 3D Xpoint and Automata.

 

[Fred Chen]

I am sure it was not intended but that linked article http://electroiq.com/eds-threads/2017/06/22/pcm-reram-oum-as-xpoint/ may only continue some confusion of the terms. The PCM part (phase change memory) should be straightforward and hasn't changed. The Ovonic component (Ovonic Threshold Switch or OTS) is the special part for XPoint. It is used to electrically isolate PCM cells from one another. Below a certain threshold voltage, the OTS is very high resistance and leaks very little current; above the threshold voltage, it effectively shorts out, passing all current.

The Crossbar ReRAM is an analogous system but uses entirely independent set of materials. But functionally, it is intended to do the same thing. "ReRAM" itself is usually applied to materials which abruptly change their resistance through redox mechanisms. In principle, the crossbar ReRAM array needs an element (sometimes called a selector) besides the ReRAM to perform the same function as the OTS in the XPoint array.

Either an ReRAM or a PCM may be attached to a transistor, or positioned in a crossbar or crosspoint array.

 

[Arthur Hanson]

Does anyone know any other work being done on Automata to attempt to bring it to commercialization or opinions on where it may go or die?