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Could wide band memory be one small step towards an Automata processor for Micron? Does anyone have an idea if the technologies are even related? How does 3dXpoint figure into this? Also any ideas if Intel's part in this is a quest to get back to their number one spot in processors/semis? I feel all these things might be linked, but I don't work in the industry, but have done very well at connecting the dots for investment purposes. I also feel TSM will marry a processor and Crossbar memory(or something very similar) using a version of their InFo packaging process with Apple as the driving customer(they need constant breakthroughs to stay on top) Any thoughts, comments or observations solicited and welcome.
It appears that the Automata Processor uses a standard, external DRAM memory for their board-level product.
Micron does make the Hybrid Memory Cube, but I don't see Micron using this memory technology with their Automata Processor.
The 3dXpoint memory is more the speed of an SSD, so I don't think that it really brings any performance benefit to Automata.
TSMC does have some embedded DRAM memory, but it only goes down to the 40nm node, so they are not known for being memory innovators at all, instead they focus on logic process development.
Dan, I wasn't thinking so much about external memory, but how the Automata Processor mixes memory and processing together internally. Any thoughts or opinions on this would be appreciated. Could the architecture change completely where memory and processor end up being on the same chip or all packed in one tightly integrated package using a version of InFo packaging or some version of FDSOI?
Arthur,
The architects at Micron have a lot of memory technology at their disposal for use in optimizing the Automata Processor, but they haven't really integrated much memory on-chip yet.
Umm, I worked on the Automata project at MU.
They are not developing the product any longer. The IP was spun out to a startup, Natural Intelligence Semiconductor, along with some people who had worked on it for years. Yes, the first parts used a DDR3 interface to the chips. Natural Intelligence Semiconductor aims to sell natural processor | Idaho Statesman
As to what is going on inside the chip, sorry, covered by NDA and can't really say.
Umm, I worked on the Automata project at MU.
They are not developing the product any longer. The IP was spun out to a startup, Natural Intelligence Semiconductor, along with some people who had worked on it for years. Yes, the first parts used a DDR3 interface to the chips. Natural Intelligence Semiconductor aims to sell natural processor | Idaho Statesman
As to what is going on inside the chip, sorry, covered by NDA and can't really say.
Thanks for the insight and the article link, it makes sense that Micron spun this technology out to a startup since Micron has a memory focus, not a processor focus.
