Monday, July 18th 2022

Rambus Expands Portfolio of DDR5 Memory Interface Chips for Data Centers and PCs

Rambus Inc., a premier chip and silicon IP provider making data faster and safer, today announced the expansion of its DDR5 memory interface chip portfolio with the addition of the Rambus SPD (Serial Presence Detect) Hub and Temperature Sensor, complementing the industry-leading Rambus Registering Clock Driver (RCD). DDR5 achieves greater memory bandwidth and capacity by employing a new module architecture with an expanded chipset. The SPD Hub and Temperature Sensors improve DDR5 Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) system management and thermal control to deliver higher performance within the desired power envelope for servers, desktops and laptops.

"The new performance levels of DDR5 memory place an increased premium on signal integrity and thermal management for server and client DIMMs," said Sean Fan, chief operating officer at Rambus. "With over 30 years of memory subsystem design experience, Rambus is ideally positioned to deliver DDR5 chipset solutions which enable breakthrough bandwidth and capacity for advanced computing systems."
"The strong collaboration between Intel and SPD ecosystem partners like Rambus, delivers critical chip solutions for Intel's next generation DDR5-based systems, scaling server, desktop and laptop performance to new levels," said Dr. Dimitrios Ziakas, VP of Memory and IO Technologies at Intel. "Our joint efforts to advance DDR5-based computing systems is setting the stage for Intel's DDR5 advance over multiple generations and the next level of performance for data centers and consumers."

"DDR5 provides a significant increase in performance for computing systems," said Shane Rau, research vice president, Computing Semiconductors at IDC. "However, DDR5 memory modules require new components to function, components like SPD hubs and temperature sensors are important components for client and server systems."

Part of the Rambus server and client DDR5 memory interface chipsets, the SPD Hub and Temperature Sensor combine with the RCD to deliver high-performance, high-capacity memory solutions for DDR5 computing systems. Both the SPD Hub and Temperature Sensor are critical components on a memory module that sense and report important data for system configuration and thermal management. The SPD Hub is used in both server and client modules, including RDIMMs, UDIMMS and SODIMMS, and the temperature sensor is designed for server RDIMMs.

Key features of the SPD Hub (SPD5118) include:
  • I2C and I3C bus serial interface support
  • Advanced reliability features
  • Expanded NVM space for customer-specific applications
  • Low latency for fastest I3C bus rates
  • Integrated temperature sensor
  • Meets or exceeds all JEDEC DDR5 SPD Hub operational requirements (JESD300-5A)
Key features of the Temperature Sensor (TS5110) include:
  • Precision thermal sensing
  • I2C and I3C bus serial interface support
  • Low latency for fastest I3C bus rates
  • Meets or exceeds all JEDEC DDR5 Temperature Sensor operational requirements (JESD302-1.01)
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10 Comments on Rambus Expands Portfolio of DDR5 Memory Interface Chips for Data Centers and PCs

#1
Ferrum Master
SPD HUB...

lol... drugs are getting stronger in the PR department.
Posted on Reply
#2
thewan
Ferrum MasterSPD HUB...

lol... drugs are getting stronger in the PR department.
I would like to know how using an official acronym provided by JEDEC, that is acknowledged by them to be the generic term mind you, to advertise a supported feature that is used by their target markets an indication that their PR department is high? Would you prefer RAMBUS to use names like Superbly Powerful Deadly Heavenly Ultimate Blurb?

edit: forgot reference
www.jedec.org/standards-documents/docs/jesd300-5b

edit 2: quotation for lazy people that don't google or click links
This standard defines the specifications of interface parameters, signaling protocols, and features for DDR5 Serial Presence Detect EEPROM with Hub function (SPD5 Hub) and integrated Temperature Sensor (TS) as used for memory module applications. The Hub feature allows isolation of a local bus from a Controller host bus. The designation SPD5118 or generic term SPD5 Hub refers to the devices specified by this standard.
Posted on Reply
#3
Fouquin
Ferrum MasterSPD HUB...

lol... drugs are getting stronger in the PR department.
What would you call it?
Posted on Reply
#4
Ferrum Master
FouquinWhat would you call it?
Hub is a definition for something central and actively used. If would it would die as it is R/W cycle limited.

SPD containing EEPROM is read only once per boot, maybe even more rarer... and is a simple eeprom IC no matter what device it is. Either it contains your car odometer data or printer cartridges print cycle count. Nobody does overglorify some strange names there, but here out of the blue some strange meaning is used that's uncommon in the electronics industry. It should be called EEPROM as RAM is still called RAM, NVRAM is still NVRAM etc
Posted on Reply
#5
Fouquin
Ferrum MasterHub is a definition for something central and actively used. If would it would die as it is R/W cycle limited.

SPD containing EEPROM is read only once per boot, maybe even more rarer... and is a simple eeprom IC no matter what device it is. Either it contains your car odometer data or printer cartridges print cycle count. Nobody does overglorify some strange names there, but here out of the blue some strange meaning is used that's uncommon in the electronics industry. It should be called EEPROM as RAM is still called RAM, NVRAM is still NVRAM etc
You should refer to the official JEDEC standard where the purpose of the name "Hub" is explained. Also refer to this block diagram of what the SPD Hub for DDR5 actually contains, it's not just EEPROM.

Posted on Reply
#6
Ferrum Master
FouquinYou should refer to the official JEDEC standard where the purpose of the name "Hub" is explained. Also refer to this block diagram of what the SPD Hub for DDR5 actually contains, it's not just EEPROM.
Dude it ain't a hub. And call it a day. Industry simply doesn't change if one dork invents an new meaning of something. Same goes for eeprom reset for motherboards, it ain't a EEPROM there for years but a full fledged miniOS on a microcontroller mimicking same behaviour.

Those like that are management IC's. They hooked the EEPROM as a feature as those(PMICs) have memory either way. It is a well known word also. There are no hubs.
Posted on Reply
#7
Fouquin
Ferrum MasterDude it ain't a hub. Industry simply doesn't change if one dork invents an new meaning of something.
The "Industry" has already decided since JEDEC published the standard. I'm sorry you don't like change.

www.montage-tech.com/DDR5_SPD_PMIC_TS/M88SPD5118
www.digchip.com/datasheets/parts/datasheet/2/222/SPD5118.php
www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/idt-announces-industrys-first-spd-hub-ic-for-ddr5-server-memory-modules-300815283.html
media-www.micron.com/-/media/client/global/documents/products/technical-marketing-brief/ddr5_key_module_features_tech_brief.pdf?la=en&rev=f3ca96bed7d9427ba72b4c192dfacb56
www.renesas.com/us/en/products/memory-logic/memory-interface-products/ddr5-solutions/spd5118-spd-hub-ddr5-memory-modules
Posted on Reply
#8
Ferrum Master
FouquinThe "Industry" has already decided since JEDEC published the standard. I'm sorry you don't like change.

www.montage-tech.com/DDR5_SPD_PMIC_TS/M88SPD5118
www.digchip.com/datasheets/parts/datasheet/2/222/SPD5118.php
www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/idt-announces-industrys-first-spd-hub-ic-for-ddr5-server-memory-modules-300815283.html
media-www.micron.com/-/media/client/global/documents/products/technical-marketing-brief/ddr5_key_module_features_tech_brief.pdf?la=en&rev=f3ca96bed7d9427ba72b4c192dfacb56
www.renesas.com/us/en/products/memory-logic/memory-interface-products/ddr5-solutions/spd5118-spd-hub-ddr5-memory-modules
The industry using the term was before JEDEC made this one. And if one makes a mistake other sheep will not follow it. I guess you can't get the idea.

It happens all the time when unqualified inexperienced people take seats in totally inappropriate places for them. I am a man who daily digs in dozens of datasheets from various makers and know their quality and style. This one sounds like pure Chinglish to me defeating the whole meaning of what hub really is.

here is the same dreaded IC from Renesas and their own makers description

www.eetasia.com/renesas-ddr5-i3c-bus-extension-devices-qualified-for-ami-firmware/

Best part of the story it seems we have found the reason why DDR5 had price hikes as this gimmick is only coming from one place inducing monopoly.
Posted on Reply
#9
Fouquin
Ferrum MasterThe industry using the term was before JEDEC made this one. And if one makes a mistake other sheep will not follow it. I guess you can't get the idea.

It happens all the time when unqualified inexperienced people take seats in totally inappropriate places for them. I am a man who daily digs in dozens of datasheets from various makers and know their quality and style. This one sounds like pure Chinglish to me defeating the whole meaning of what hub really is.

here is the same dreaded IC from Renesas and their own makers description

www.eetasia.com/renesas-ddr5-i3c-bus-extension-devices-qualified-for-ami-firmware/

Best part of the story it seems we have found the reason why DDR5 had price hikes as this gimmick is only coming from one place inducing monopoly.
Until you put your own butt in a seat to decide these standards and their naming, you can just deal. If these people were all so unqualified, perhaps they'd be in your position complaining about names on the internet instead of being the ones deciding them, no? All well and good being the one reading the datasheets, but they're the ones writing them.

I hope some day you can get accustomed to change.
Posted on Reply
#10
Ferrum Master
FouquinI hope some day you can get accustomed to change.
Changes should be welcomed if they have a reason not some PR induced BS.
Posted on Reply
Apr 27th, 2024 11:19 EDT change timezone

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