Cypress' AgigA Tech Unveils High-Speed, High-Density, Battery-Free Non-Volatile RAM System

AgigA Tech Inc., a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp., has introduced what it called the industry's first high-speed, high-density non-volatile RAM system.

The new AGIGARAM non-volatile system (NVS) technology delivers densities between 4 megabytes (32 megabits) and 2 gigabytes (16 gigabits) and peak transfer rates equivalent to DRAMs. The AGIGARAM is ideal for a wide range of systems, including storage, networking, communications, industrial computing and controls, medical equipment, gaming systems, ATMs and point-of-sale terminals, printers, scanners, copiers, automotive and military systems.

Until now, high-speed, non-volatile memory choices have been limited, especially when the performance of a RAM is desired. Complementing the nvSRAM offerings from Cypress, the AGIGARAM system scales and extends nonvolatile solutions to much higher densities.

The company said the AGIGARAM system solves these problems with a novel use of a battery free power sub-system, teamed with high-speed synchronous DRAM, NAND Flash, intelligent power management and a proprietary system controller. During normal operation the AGIGARAM functions exactly like a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM). When power is lost, however, it automatically saves the data to NAND Flash using the energy stored in the power subsystem. When power is restored, the data is transferred back into the SDRAM. This functionality can be used for power interruption/loss immunity, instant-on recovery, write caching and posting, data logging and journaling, and service and maintenance processing.

"Today's memory technologies all have a problem. DRAM is volatile, flash is slow, SRAM with batteries is unreliable, and alternative technologies are too costly to use in large densities," said Jim Handy, Director of Objective Analysis. "Products like AgigA Tech's that combine the best attributes of DRAM and NAND are likely to meet with broad acceptance."

"AgigA Tech's unique technology and expertise have yielded a superior solution for high-speed, high-density non-volatile RAM," said Ron Sartore, CEO of AgigA Tech. "And our relationship with Cypress enables us to work with customers through a world-class sales and distribution network."

The AGIGARAM BALI product is available now in production. Evaluation kits are also available. The company said the higher-end DDR2 based CAPRI product will be sampling in July of this year, with production quantities available in September 2009. Complete documentation, part numbers, product briefs, and datasheets are available at the AgigA Tech website.

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