Altera and Northwest Logic Develop RLDRAM 3 Memory Interface Solution

Update: Rambus Completes Acquisition of Northwest Logic, Extending Leadership in Interface IP (Aug. 27, 2019 )

Enables Use of High-Performance RLDRAM 3 Memory with Leading-Edge FPGAs in High-end Networking Applications

San Jose, Calif., November 13, 2012 – Altera Corporation (Nasdaq: ALTR) and Northwest Logic today announced the immediate availability of a hardware-proven 1,600 Mbps Reduced Latency DRAM (RLDRAM®) 3 memory interface solution for use in its high-end 28 nm Stratix® V FPGAs. The RLDRAM 3 memory interface combines Altera’s auto-calibrated RLDRAM 3 UniPHY and Northwest Logic’s full-featured RLDRAM 3 controller core to significantly simplify interface design between RLDRAM 3 memory and the FPGA while maximizing memory throughput in high-end networking applications. This jointly-developed RLDRAM 3 memory interface solution has been hardware-validated in customer designs using Micron Technology’s RLDRAM 3 memories.

Altera’s Stratix V family of FPGAs is optimized to support Micron Technology’s next-generation RLDRAM 3 memory. Stratix V FPGAs feature a memory architecture that delivers the FPGA industry’s highest system performance with low latency and high efficiency. Stratix V FPGAs enable networking equipment manufacturers to transfer voice, video and data across the Internet quickly and efficiently.

“FPGAs provide our customers with an effective way to optimize their network products to support the growth in data volume and track the changing network infrastructure,” said Robert Feurle, Micron Technology’s vice president of DRAM marketing. “Integrating Altera’s high-end Stratix V FPGAs with RLDRAM 3 memory provides the high level of performance needed to accommodate our network customers’ rapidly evolving memory requirements.”

The combination of Northwest Logic’s RLDRAM 3 controller core and Altera’s UniPHY provides a complete RLDRAM 3 solution, including high efficiency BL=2 operation, minimal timing closure issues due to operating at a quarter clock rate, and support for a broad range of RLDRAM 3 memory configurations.

“Our close partnership with Altera ensures we deliver proven solutions that our mutual customers can quickly implement into their systems with minimal effort,” said Brian Daellenbach, president at Northwest Logic. “This RLDRAM 3 solution gives developers of high-end networking application a high-performance, low-latency solutions with speeds up to 1,600 Mbps.”

“Stratix V FPGAs feature an optimized RLDRAM 3 interface that dramatically improves the latency and performance of high-end systems,” said Patrick Dorsey, senior director of component product marketing at Altera. “The high performance of our Stratix V FPGAs combined with this RLDRAM 3 solution enable us to deliver the most efficient solutions for today’s highest performance networking applications.”

Availability

The RLDRAM 3 memory interface solution is available for use in Altera’s high-performance Stratix V FPGAs. The RLDRAM 3 controller core is delivered and fully supported by Northwest Logic. To learn more information about Stratix V FPGAs, visit www.altera.com/stratixv. More information RLDRAM 3 solution solutions can be found at http://nwlogic.com/products/memory-interface-solution/.

About Northwest Logic

Northwest Logic, founded in 1995 and located in Beaverton, Oregon, provides high-performance, silicon-proven, easy-to-use IP cores including high-performance Expresso Solution (PCI Express 3.0, 2.1 and 1.1 cores and drivers), Memory Interface Solution (DDR4, DDR3, DDR2, LPDDR3, LPDDR2, Mobile DDR SDRAM; RLDRAM 3, RLDRAM II), and MIPI Solution (CSI-2, DSI). These solutions support a full range of platforms including ASICs, Structured ASICs and FPGAs. For additional information, visit http://www.nwlogic.com.

About Altera

Altera® programmable solutions enable system and semiconductor companies to rapidly and cost effectively innovate, differentiate and win in their markets. Find out more about Altera’s FPGA, CPLD and ASIC devices at www.altera.com.