Qualcomm JEDEC Mobile Keynote: Memory Bandwidth and Thermal Limits

Qualcomm JEDEC Mobile Keynote: Memory Bandwidth and Thermal Limits
by Paul McLellan on 05-14-2013 at 4:37 pm

I went to some of the JEDEC mobile conference a couple of weeks ago. The opening keynote was by Richard Wietfeld of Qualcomm called The Need for Speed.

He emphasized that smartphones are really setting the pace these days in all things mobile and internet. Over 1/3 of access is on smartphones now. Over 4/5 of searches on smartphones… Read More


Mobile Storage Interfaces: There are a Lot

Mobile Storage Interfaces: There are a Lot
by Paul McLellan on 05-06-2013 at 5:39 pm

Storage interfaces for mobile are evolving rapidly, in particular with the Universal Flash Storage (UFS) standard. So how do you test a design? If you want to test a design that accesses, say, an SD card then you can wander into Fry’s and buy an SD card for a few dollars. But to design an interface to UFS is a bit harder since the … Read More


ReRAM Cell Modeling and Kinetics

ReRAM Cell Modeling and Kinetics
by Ed McKernan on 10-16-2012 at 8:55 pm

Introducing the first ReRAM-Forum movie!! In part 2 of their recently published papers in the Transactions on Electron Devices of the IEEE, Professor Ielmini’s group describe the modeling of resistive switching in bipolar metal oxide ReRAM. Like part 1, the paper is collaboration with David Gilmer of Sematech who provided the… Read More


Current Embedded Memory Solutions Are Inadequate for 100G Ethernet

Current Embedded Memory Solutions Are Inadequate for 100G Ethernet
by Sundar Iyer on 10-01-2012 at 7:00 pm

With an estimated 7 billion connected devices, the demand for rich content, including video, games, and mobile apps is skyrocketing. Service providers around the globe are scrambling to transform their networks to satisfy the overwhelming demand for content bandwidth. Over the next few years, they will be looking to network… Read More


Micron ReRAM Patent Alert

Micron ReRAM Patent Alert
by Ed McKernan on 09-11-2012 at 3:16 pm


Micron recently was awarded patents related to ReRAM. As everyone knows, patents are the lifeblood of technology based industries and the memory business is no different. But what can you learn from a patent? In the first of a series of Blogs, Christie Marrian moderator of the ReRAM-Forum asks that question in the context of patents… Read More


MemCon Returns

MemCon Returns
by Paul McLellan on 07-25-2012 at 9:44 am

Back before Denali was acquired by Cadence they used to run an annual conference called MemCon. Since Denali was the Switzerland of EDA, friend of everyone and enemy of none, there would be presentations from other memory IP companies and from major EDA companies. For example, in 2010, Bruggeman, then CMO of Cadence, gave the opening… Read More


Channel Routing Memories

Channel Routing Memories
by Paul McLellan on 04-23-2012 at 1:12 pm

Back in the early days of ASIC when we had just two and then (wow!) three layers of metal, place and route was done by putting the standard cells in rows with gaps between them and then using a specialized router to do the interconnection. It would use one layer of metal horizontally and one vertically and avoid jogs. This was called a … Read More


Elpida and Japan Inc

Elpida and Japan Inc
by Paul McLellan on 03-09-2012 at 2:17 pm

Last week, the Japanese memory company Elpida filed for bankruptcy. There is worldwide overcapacity in DRAM and somebody had to go. Its strength and the weakness was that it was much more outward facing than most of the Japanese semiconductor and electronic industry. So it had to compete globally and wasn’t up to the task.… Read More