The folks from Xilinx and the guys and gals from Micron Technology have just announced the first public hardware demonstration of an FPGA interfacing with RLDRAM 3 memory.
RLDRAM 3 is a new and emerging memory standard for high-end networking applications such as packet buffering and inspection, linked lists, and lookup tables. Operating with Virtex-7 and Kintex-7 FPGAs at data rates up to 1600 Mb/s (megabits per second), Micron's high-performance RLDRAM 3 memory combines high density, high bandwidth and fast SRAM-like random access to enable a 60 percent higher data rate and memory bandwidth compared to that of the previous generation (Virtex-6 FPGAs/RLDRAM2 memory standard). RLDRAM 3 memory enables 40G and 100G networking systems that require higher speed, higher density, lower power and lower latency.
Virtex-7 and Kintex-7 FPGAs are designed with the necessary IO standards and architectural components for optimal interfacing with RLDRAM 3, providing a significant boost to system performance for high-performance wireless and wired networking systems. RLDRAM 3 memory uses innovative circuit design to minimize the time between the beginning of an access cycle and the instant that the first data is available. Ultra-low bus turnaround time enables higher sustainable bandwidth with near-term balanced read-to-write ratios.
"The new RLDRAM 3 interface is ideal for Xilinx and Micron's mutual customers in the high-end networking space who require higher speed, higher density, lower power and lower latency," said Derek Curd, technical marketing manager at Xilinx. "The RLDRAM 3 hardware demonstration shows how we're able to achieve a much more efficient transfer of network data."
A video of the new Virtex-7 FPGA and Micron RLDRAM 3 memory interface solution from Xilinx and Micron can be viewed here or micronblogs.com.
"Xilinx has been a longtime partner of Micron, going back to the early definition efforts of RLDRAM 3 memory," said Robert Feurle, vice president of Micron's DRAM marketing. "Together, we welcome the ability to demonstrate and deliver performance advantages of RLDRAM 3 with the latest Virtex-7 and Kintex-7 families."
Availability and ordering information
Hardware demonstrations of the Xilinx RLDRAM 3 Memory interface IP core are available now with user configurable IP cores available in ISE Design Suite 13.4 in September 2012. Qualified Micron RLDRAM 3 memory devices are available now in x18 and x36 organizations across all speed grades from 800 to 1066MHz. For complete information visit micron.com/rldram.
This story was originally posted by EE Times.
