Four years after bringing the first DRAM with on-chip ECC in DDR1, DDR2 and DDR3 technologies to the market, Intelligent Memory is expanding the product line again adding a new series of LPDDR4(X) memory components with integrated ECC error-correction capability.
LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X memory-technologies are designed to run at very high speeds in combination with very low operating voltages – on LPDDR4X as low as 0.6V for VDDQ – and power consumption levels. These attributes, while beneficial to many aspects of system design, increase the risk of random bit-flips and can lead to software malfunction or erratic data.
With the increased deployment of LPDDR4 memory in industrial applications requiring 24/7 continuous operation and minimum downtime, ECC error correction becomes increasingly important. Also many automotive electronics such as camera, communication and control devices for ADAS need a maximum level of reliability and stability which the addition of ECC delivers.
However, JEDEC has not prepared the LPDDR4(X) memory technology to support a x40 or x72 bit wide memory-bus as is normally used to store the parity-bits for ECC operation. Therefore, common controllers and CPUs are not able to perform ECC error correction with LPDDR4(X) memory.
Intelligent Memory’s LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X ECC DRAM solve this problem by performing all ECC related activities inside the memory components. The integrated ECC logic automatically generates, stores and verifies parity-bits held in a separate memory area, and any single-bit-errors get corrected before the data output occurs – fully transparent to the memory-controller of the CPU!
This new technology offering with built-in ECC logic adheres to the original JEDEC specifications for LPDDR4, including the pinouts and timings – enabling engineers to easily incorporate Intelligent Memory LPDDR4(X) components with ECC into their system designs without any special hardware or software adaptions. Voila – You’ve got ECC!
Intelligent Memory is currently providing customers with samples of the new products in 4Gb and 8Gb capacity with a x32 organization (or in other words, “two channels of 16 Bits”) in an FBGA 200 standard package. By the end of Q4/2019, 2Gb and 4Gb single-channel x16 Bit wide products will also be released, and next year will bring even higher capacities of up to 16 Gb in x32 (2Ch) followed by 8Gb in x16 (1Ch).
As these products are designed for industrial applications requiring the highest levels of reliability, all parts support the full -40 to 95°C industrial temperature range. Higher temperature ranges up to 125°C as well as AEC-Q100 automotive products are currently under preparation and will be available on request.
Free samples and quotes can be requested from Intelligent Memory’s distribution-partner Memphis Electronic (www.memphis.ag), serving customers from 16 locations around the world.
