Renesas Electronics, a leading semiconductor solutions provider, has introduced the groundbreaking Client Clock Driver (CKD) and the third-generation DDR5 Registered Clock Driver (RCD) for the next wave of DDR5 DRAM server and client systems. Renesas remains the sole provider of a comprehensive DDR5 memory interface portfolio for dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs), motherboards, and embedded applications.
The DDR5 CKD and DDR5 RCD ICs enable new-generation DIMMs to achieve speeds of 7200MT/s and 6400MT/s, a significant improvement from the current 5600MT/s. The industry-first CKD, supporting speeds up to 7200MT/s, interfaces with Small Outline DIMMs (SODIMMs), Unbuffered DIMMs (UDIMMs), high-performance gaming DIMMs, and soldered storage applications on client platforms. The 3rd generation DDR5 RCDs, on the other hand, cater specifically to Registered DIMMs (RDIMMs).
Balaji Kanigicherla, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Advanced Mixed Signal and ASIC Solutions Division at Renesas, said, "Renesas is at the forefront of the storage interface product industry, constantly pushing performance and power consumption boundaries. With a crucial role in defining and implementing the DDR5 interface specification, Renesas remains a key partner for leading SOC and DRAM manufacturers across both the DIMM and system-level domains."
Dr. Dimitrios Ziakas, Vice President of Memory and IO Technologies at Intel, added that the Intel Xeon platform aims to support storage-intensive applications like predictive analytics based on deep learning and machine learning. The client clock drivers serve as a new industry initiative, further enhancing client-side DIMMs. Gen 3 RCDs are groundbreaking for the storage industry, addressing the bandwidth and capacity expansion requirements of data center clients. Renesas and Intel have joined forces to refine the client clock drivers and third-generation RCDs, ensuring they are tailored to market needs.
The CKD buffers clock signals between the host controller and DRAM, a vital requirement for DDR5 DIMMs operating at speeds up to 7200MT/s for client DIMMs and soldered memory applications. It supports I2C and I3C sideband access for asynchronous control, while offering internal control word access for configuring device functions across different SODIMM and UDIMM designs as well as soldered memory system applications.
The RCD driver buffers the command address (CA) bus, chip select, and clock between the host controller and DRAM module while creating a BCOM bus to control the LRDIMM data buffer. Enhancements to the driver include Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) support, which has increased DFE phase shifters from 4 to 6, effectively improving receiver margin. I2C and I3C sideband bus support grants direct register access control.
Renesas pairs RCD and CKD drivers with compatible products from its successful product portfolios, including DDR5 power management ICs (PMICs) and CKD serial presence detect (SPD) hubs. RCDs can also be combined with Renesas' temperature sensors, SPD hubs, PMICs, and data buffers. The "Winning Portfolio" from Renesas features products that seamlessly work together using a proven system architecture, ensuring an optimized, low-risk design with reduced time-to-market. With an extensive product line, Renesas has introduced over 400 "winning product portfolios" designed to help customers accelerate their designs and expedite time-to-market.
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