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New Consumer FCRAM From Fujitsu Microelectronics Delivers Fast Data Transfer With Very Low Power

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 July 2008, 15:00 CDT

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) today introduced a new 256Mbit consumer FCRAM featuring very low power and high throughput for digital consumer electronics products.

The new MB81EDS256545 runs on 1.7V to 1.95V and is ideal for system-in-package (SiP) designs that feature small mounting spaces on circuit boards and reduced component costs. A 64-bit I/O, low-power DDR SDRAM interface enables data transfer rates equivalent to two DDR2 SDRAMs with 16-bit I/O. The new FCRAM reduces power consumption by a maximum of approximately 1 watt (1W), which is equivalent to about 70 percent less power than is required in typical implementations.

"The latest generation of consumer electronics products requires very low power consumption in order to reduce heat and operate efficiently," said Tong Swan Pang, senior product marketing manager at Fujitsu Microelectronics America. "This new consumer FCRAM is designed specifically to deliver the performance, high integration and low power that digital televisions, camcorders, and other consumer products require."

Wide I/O Bus Enables Low Operating Frequency; Dropping Resistors Reduce Power Draw

DDR2 SDRAM and other high-speed memory interfaces require a termination resistor to maintain stable signals. These resistors are responsible for much of the total power consumption in such applications. The new FCRAM eliminates the need for resistors by using a wide 64-bit I/O bus, so that it can run at a lower operating frequency. The result is performance equivalent to two 16-bit DDR2 SDRAMs with 16-bit I/O interfaces, with about one full Watt less total power consumption. This equates to a 70 percent reduction compared with prior requirements, as shown in Figure 1 below. The power consumption comparison is based on a continuous data transfer of 3.2 GBps using one unit of the new consumer FCRAM and two DDR2 SDRAMs. A significant proportion of the DDR2 SDRAM's total power consumption has been accounted for by the terminating resistors; eliminating them makes a significant contribution to power savings.

With a 64-bit-wide I/O and operating frequencies up to 216MHz, this product has a maximum data transfer rate of 3.46 gigabytes per second (3.46GBps), double that of typical DDR2 SDRAM. This makes it well-suited for processing of image/video data and other data types that require high bandwidth, such as digital television.

Fujitsu Microelectronics has a long history of developing leading-edge FCRAM technology. The company expects that the new FCRAM can replace conventional RAMs for use in digital consumer electronics, and that it will provide solutions with excellent product value while reducing overall costs.

Pricing and Availability

Samples of the new MB81EDS256545 FCRAM are available now for $10 each. In addition to being offered in a wafer format for SiP integration, FML's new FCRAM is also offered as a wafer-level package (WLP).

MB81EDS256545 Key Specifications Organization 1M-word x 64-bit x 4-bank Supply Voltage 1.7V to 1.95V Burst Operating Frequency 216MHz (Max) Data Transfer Rate 3.46GByte/s (Max) Clock Access Time 4.6ns (Max) Operating Current (Burst Read) 300mA (Max) Deep Power Down Current 20microA (Max)

Figure 1: Power consumption comparison of new FCRAM vs. DDR2 SDRAM http://www.fujitsu.com/downloads/MICRO/fma/imagelib/memory/20080626-1.gif

Figure 2: Benefits of using new FCRAM with SiP http://www.fujitsu.com/downloads/MICRO/fma/imagelib/memory/20080626-2.gif

About Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.

Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) leads the industry in innovation. FMA provides high-quality, reliable semiconductor products and services for the networking, communications, automotive, security and other markets throughout North and South America. For product information, visit the company web site at http://us.fujitsu.com/micro/fcram or address e-mail to inquiry@fma.fujitsu.com

All company and other product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.

CONTACT: Emi Igarashi of Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.,+1-408-737-5647, eigarash@fma.fujitsu.com; or Dick Davies of IndependentPublic Relations Associates, +1-415-652-7515, ipra@mindspring.com, for FujitsuMicroelectronics America, Inc.

Web site: http://www.fma.fujitsu.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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