MRAM applications - Page 5

Artesyn Embedded Technologies announced a new high-performance VME single-board computer that comes with 512Kb of MRAM memory. The MVME8105 computer provides computing performance, data throughput and long life cycle support for a range of high-end industrial control, C4ISR and mission critical applications.

The computer features a Freescale QorIQ P5020 2.0 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, 512MB of MRAM memory and 8GB of storage (flash). Other features include multiple USB, serial and Ethernet ports and can support a range of operating systems including Wind River VxWorks, Linux and Green Hills Integrity.

Everspin announced that Koyo Electronics Industries adopted their MRAM chips in their new battery-free Direct Logic 205 (DL205) Series Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). The DL205 is Koyo's most configurable and versatile solution in their portfolio. Everspin's MRAM enables data integrity and reliability in harsh environments, and instant event save in the event of a power loss and without the need for a battery.

The DL205 uses Everspin's 1-Megabit parallel interface (MR0A16A) MRAM chip.

Everspin announced that Elektron Music Machines flagship synthesizer uses the company's 16-Megabit MRAM memory. The stage Analog Keys synth features 37 semi-weighted keys, four analog voices, over 4000 sound slots, a powerful sequencer, and a digital control system.

Everspin says that the fast MRAM memory with its extreme data reliability is ideal for professional audio applications - as it enables fast applications and unlimited endurance. Everspin’s 16-Megabit MR4A16BMA35 MRAM is in full production today in a standard 48-ball BGA package and is designed to be used in a system like any standard 16-bit parallel memory with no software overhead.

Yole Developpement released a new emerging-memory market report in which they try to asses the future of the memory market. Yose says that Phase-change memory (PCM) is pretty much dead, and the two main emerging memory technologies are MRAM and Resistive random Access Memory (ReRAM or RRAM).

While RRAM is very promising in the near future, with support from Micron (they plan to release RRAM chips in 2015) and Panasonic while other players are expected to react quickly. RRAM and STT-MRAM will compete in 2015-2016 in some standalone markets (such as embedded MCU, wearables and smart cards and the storage class memory for enterprise storage which will be the biggest market), and it's not clear yet which technology will be the most popular.

Crocus Technology announced a new magnetic sensor that can be used to detect the shape and bendability of flexible displays. The company discovered a technique to turn their MRAM memory cell arrays into very sensitive magnetic sensors that have a much larger range than any commercial sensor.

The production process is very similar to the MRAM process the company uses, but with a different cell design. Basically it is a very simple sensor that detects changes in a magnetic field from a perpendicular magnet.

Crocus Technology announced that ARM licensed the company's Magnetic Logic Unit (MLU) technology. The MLU is a CMOS based rugged magnetic technology capable of offering important advantages in performance, size and security for embedded micro-controllers. MLU can replace both flash and RAM and are suitable for mobile and security applications.

Crocus will provide ARM with access to its MLU technology, including MRAM blocks in sub-90 nm technology which can replace traditional flash memory, plus MIP (Match In Place) enabled technology which enhances the security of keys and other secret data. Crocus has been co-developing the MLU technology together with IBM since 2011.

Buffalo Memory launched a new industrial SATA III SSD (the S6C series) that uses Everspin's STT-MRAM as cache memory. As far as we know, this is the first product on the market to use STT-MRAM chips. Buffalo says that by using STT-MRAM cache, they were able to improve performance (access time) and power consumption, and also feature better tolerance to sudden power off.

Buffalo's SSD use Everspin's EMD3D064M 64Mb DDR3 ST-MRAM chips. These feature full DDR3 speed coupled with non-volatility. The EMD3D064M chip is functionally compatible with the industry standard JEDEC specification for the DDR3 interface, providing designers the ability to quickly adopt ST-MRAM in storage and embedded systems.

Everspin announced that it is providing MRAM technology so Skyera, which will use MRAM chips on its newly announced Skyhawk MLC NAND flash-based enterprise solid-state storage system. This is the industry’s first all solid-state storage appliance that uses MRAM.

Skyer's system is based entirely on 19/20 nanometer consumer Multi Level Cell (MLC) NAND Flash at a system price of less than $3 per gigabyte before compression and deduplication. The compact half-depth 1u form factor sports a 44 terabytes of high performance, low latency native capacity. Skyera says that Everspin MRAM allows them to overcome any point of failure within the system memory while providing the best possible performance to supercharge enterprise-class applications.

Aeroflex launched three MRAM chips for the aerospace and defense markets: the UT8MR2M8 (16Mbit, 40-pin flatpack) and the UT8MR8M8 (64Mbit, 64-pin flatpack). The 64Mbit chip isactually the world's highest density MRAM chip (Everspin's highest one is only 16Mbit in size).

Aeroflex is using licensed MRAM technolgoy from Everspin, and it took them two years to modify Everspin's design so it fits their target markets.

Buffalo (a Japanese storage expert) introduced a new line of SSDs that use MRAM cache (instead of the standard SDRAM). The MRAM chips are probably made by Everspin (as it is the only MRAM maker).

Buffalo says that MRAM is nonvolatlie and so this new cache technology provides increased tolerance to power loss.