Three-in-one memory chip to shrink gadgets

SST promises cheaper, faster, smaller kit

vnunet.com, 13 Jul 2007

Silicon Storage Technology (SST) has designed a memory chip that combines three functions which previously required a chip each.

The All-in-OneMemory device is aimed at makers of MP3 players, digital still and movie cameras, satnav devices, mobile phones and other handheld devices.

It could also be used in domestic gadgets like set-top boxes, IPTV devices and even robotic systems used in industrial automation.

The single chip combines Nor, Nand Flash and Ram functions which are essential for booting devices and managing software instructions.

"SST has taken the complexity out of hybrid memory architectures by enabling a single-bus memory subsystem that uses a standard SRam host interface which is a huge benefit for designers," said Mark DeVoss, senior analyst at research firm iSuppli.

All-in-OneMemory consists of a memory controller with built-in Nor, Nand Flash and Ram all housed in a single package.

The memory controller has embedded SuperFlash, Nor blocks for boot code, a Flash file system for Nand Flash management, and a cache memory controller for Pseudo Nor that emulates high-density Nor Flash.

Recent reports suggest that Flash chips are in short supply because the number of new mobile devices has sent demand sky-high.

All-in-OneMemory is the only single-bus, single-package solution that offers a completely managed memory subsystem which includes XIP, data and Ram memory.

By intelligently managing all memory components with a resident 32-bit microcontroller, All-in-OneMemory offers instant, secure boot, memory demand paging, Nand Flash management and a standard ATA data storage protocol.

This allows it to reduce system complexity and lower the overall cost for system builders.

"The increasing multimedia functions in cellphones and other digital consumer devices have caused system designers to re-evaluate the memory subsystem," said Bing Yeh, president and chief executive of SST.

"Traditional methods of handling code and data storage often conflict with the shrinking size and cost requirements of consumer electronics."