RLDRAM

Reduced Latency DRAM (RLDRAM) is a type of specialty dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) with a SRAM-like interface originally developed by Infineon Technologies. It is a high-bandwidth, semi-commodity, moderately low-latency (relative to contemporaneous SRAMs) memory targeted at embedded applications (such as computer networking equipment) requiring memories that have moderate costs and low latency (relative to commodity DRAM); and capacities greater than those offered by SRAMs.^[1] RLDRAM also has better performance compared to contemporaneous commodity DRAMs when there are back-to-back read and write accesses, or completely random accesses.^[2]

The first generation RLDRAM devices appeared in 1999, and were initially only fabricated by Infineon. Later, Micron Technology was brought in as a development partner and second source for RLDRAM devices. The second-generation RLDRAM II specification was announced by Infineon and Micron in 2003.^[3] Infineon subsequently decided to abandon RLDRAM development, and RLDRAM II devices were introduced by Micron.^[1] The first RLDRAM II samples appeared in the same year.^[4] In 2012, Micron demonstrated the first third-generation RLDRAM 3 devices.^[5]

References

1. Jacob, Bruce et al. (2008). Memory Systems: Cache, DRAM, Disk. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. pp. 494.
2. RLDRAM Memory: Unparalleled Bandwidth and Low Latency
3. Infineon and Micro Announce RLDRAM II Specification.
4. Micron is Sampling RLDRAM-II Memory Chips.
5. Micron, Xilinx Demonstrate Working RLDRAM 3 Prototypes.