Samsung has begun mass production of 256 Mb XDR memory chips. The parts offer 8 GB/s transfer rates and incorporate Differential Rambus Signal Level (DRSL) technology. XDR memory is to be included in the upcoming PlayStation 3 and the company believes it will be also implemented in servers, workstations and applications such as digital TVs. Samsung plans to release a 512 Mb part capable of 12.8 GB/s throughput before the second half of the year.
Corsair Memory announced a new 2 GB Voyager USB 2.0 flash drive. The device offers read speeds of up to 19 MB/s and write speeds of up to 13 MB/s. It has a shock and water resistant soft rubber casing. The CMFUSB2.0-2GB is shipping worldwide now with suggested price of USD 189. The Voyager USB 2.0 flash drive is also available in 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB and 1 GB capacities.
Elpida has shipped the first samples of its 256 Mb DDR SDRAM products with Super Self Refresh (SSR) technology that is said to reduce self refresh current by up to 95%. In doing so, it is capable of extending battery life for portable consumer electronics with no trade off in performance. Elpida’s new devices with SSR are organized as 4 M x 16 bits x 4 banks and are rated to run at 400 MHz with various latency settings. The DRAMs have typical DDR SDRAM voltage of 2.5 V, but Elpida says that SSR adjusts the current rate using Auto Temperature Compensated Self Refresh (ATCSR) in order to reduce power consumption. Volume production is planned for March.
Micron allegedly reached a new milestone in the development of FB-DIMM memory modules with DDR2 prototypes running at 667 MHz (PC5300) aimed at future servers. The company has a complete lineup of DDR2 FB-DIMM modules with densities from 256 MB to 2 GB. In FB-DIMM products, all signals to and from the DRAM are buffered at the high-speed Advanced Memory Buffer (AMB), allowing better timings.
SanDisk introduced a new Secure Digital memory card with built-in USB connectivity. The device can be plugged into any USB port without needing an SD card reader to transfer data, images, audio or video between computers, digital cameras and other gadgets. The card, to be commercially available in February, has a led that blinks when data transfer is taking place to indicate that it is being used as a USB flash drive.
Micron Technology has shipped its first 2 Gb NAND flash memory products aimed at flash cards, USB devices, mass storage devices and mobile applications. The components are manufactured on a 90-nanometer process and according to the company are verified with major NAND controllers to be drop-in compatible with existing 2 Gb NAND devices utilizing those controllers. Volume production has already begun.
Japanese company Elpida says it has developed a new distortion control technology that improves data retentiveness, an element that is crucial for obtaining high yields of high-performance DRAM products during the mass production phase. Distortion control was developed in partnership with NEC´s System Devices Research Laboratory. The technology is also supposed to allow volume-produced DRAM to achieve the higher performance necessary for future applications while remaining cost-competitive. Elpida plans to apply this innovative technology to all of its current and future DRAM products.
Crucial released a new series of Ballistix memories – called Tracer – sporting two rows of eight "chasing" red and green LEDs that indicate activity by circulating at varying speeds. According to the company, a custom-designed chip in the PCB relays bus information to the LEDs, allowing them to accurately reflect usage of each memory module. In addition, eight blue undercarriage LEDs emit a constant glow near the pins. Ballistix Tracer DDR500/PC4000 are currently available in 512 MB and 1 GB modules with 2.5-4-4-8 latencies.
TwinMOS recently announced the Speed Premium DDR400 series, consisting of DDR400/PC3200 modules with overclocking settings to achieve 450 MHz with no need for BIOS setup changes. The modules are offered in 256 MB and 512 MB capacities with CAS latency of 2.5. According to the company, Advantest T5585/T5593 have been applied before shipping to ensure their stability and compatibility.
Corsair Memory announced a new memory product line called System Select, designed to meet the needs of consumers in the upgrading of desktops, laptops and servers. The idea is avoiding the need to consult compatibility charts. For this, the consumer can use the Corsair Memory Configurator, searching for modules compatible with the brand and model of his system. The online tool includes over 15,000 systems and 1,000 motherboards.
